1885.] PKOCEEDIXGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 47 



2. Parexoccetus mesogaster. 



Exocatiis mesogaster, Blocli, Iclithyologia, pi. 399 (on a drawing by Plumier) ; 

 Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichlh., 1801, 430 (copied); Mitchill, Trans. Lit. 

 and Phil. Soc. 1815, 443 (Southern coast) ; Cuv. & Val., xix, 1846, 87 

 (Cuba); Poey, Syu. Pise. Cubeus., 1868, 385 (copied) ; Poey, Enuraeratio 

 Pise. Cub. 1875, 122 (copied); Jordan & Gilbert, Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 

 588 (Charleston) ; Jordan & Gilbert, Proe. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1883, 143 (Pen- 

 sacola; no descr.). 



Parexoccetus mesogaster, J ov(\a.n, Proe. U. S.Nat. Mus., 1884,34 (Pensaeola ; 

 no descr.). 



'i Exococtus orhignianua, Cuv. & Val., xix, 131, 1846 (Montevideo; based on a 

 drawing) ; Giinther, vi, 285 (copied). 



Exocontus hUlianus, Gosse, Nat. Sojourn Jamaica, 1851, ii, tab. 1, f, 1 (Jamaica); 

 Poey, Memorias, ii, 1861, 301 (Cuba); Poey, Syn. Pise. Cub., 1868, 384 

 (Cuba); Poey, Enumeratio Pise. Cub., 1875, 122; LUtken, Vid. Medd. 

 Naturh. Foren., 1876, 397 (Atlantic ; Antilles; Honolulu); Cope, Trans. 

 Am. Phil. Soc., 1871, 481 (St. Martin's); Jordan &. Gilbert, Syn. Fish.N. 

 A., 1883,903; Jordan & Gilbert, Proe. U. S.Nat. Mus., 1882, 262 (Pensa- 

 eola). 



Exocoetus gryllus, Klunzinger, Fische des Rothen Meeres, 1870, 586 (Eed Sea ; 

 fide Liitkeu). 



Hahitat. — East Indies; West Indies, north to Newport. 



This little flying-fish is the most abundant species along our South 

 Atlantic coast. We have adopted lor it the name mesogaster, believing 

 it to be the original mesogaster of Bloch, as well as the mesogaster of 

 Mitchill and of Valenciennes, although none of these writers have given 

 descriptions of any value. 



The hilUanus of Gosse is of course the present species. Liitken states 

 that the gryllus of Klunzinger is also the same, the alleged distinctive 

 character of the latter not really existing. 



The orbignianus of Cuv. & Val. seems to have been based on a poor 

 drawing of the present species. 



Three specimens of this species are in the museum of the Academy — 

 one 7 inches long from the Sandwich Islands, one 5^ inches long from 

 Newport, E. I., and one 4| inches long from St. Martin's. The one last 

 mentioned has two short barbels on tip of lower jaw. These barbels are 

 ribbon-shaped, black, and about three-fifths diameter of tne eye. In 

 the specimen from Newport there are also barbels, but much less devel- 

 oped than in the former specimen. In the Sandwich Island specimen 

 no barbels exist. Otherwise the three agree closely, and evidently all 

 belong to the same species. Specimens from Florida in the United 

 States National Museum and in the museum of the Indiana University 

 have no barbels, but otherwise agree with the others. 



It is evident that the barbels constitute a character of youth, in this 

 species at least. 



The following description is taken from the specimen above noted, 

 from the Sandwich Islands : 



Head 4f in length of body; depth, 5; D, 12; A, 13; about thirty- 

 eight scales in the lateral line, five rows of scales between lateral line 

 and dorsal fin. 



