6-i PROCEEDINGS OK UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [18S5. 



Liitkeu has ])refeiTe(l the name spilopus to that of nigricans, because 

 '"it is not certain that the nigricans of Bennett, in which the black spot 

 on the ventrals is situated at its base and not towards its extremity, is 

 the same species." This element of doubt seems to us very slight. The 

 hicolor is probably the same species, with the black on the ventrals 

 faded into grayish blotches. 



A specimen 10 inches long is in the museum of the academy from 

 18° S., 340 W. One, said to be from Central America, is in the Na- 

 tional Museum. 



14. Exocoetus bahiensis. 



Exocaiushahieusis, Ranzani, "Nov. Comm. Acad. Sci. Inst. Bonon., v, 1842,362, 

 tab. ;^8" (Brazil): Giinther, vi, 1866, 293 (Sumatra; Atlantic); Poey, 

 Synopsis Pise. Cub., 1868, 384, 385 (Cuba); Poey, Enum. Pise. Cub., 1875, 

 121 (Cuba) ; Liitken, Vid. Medd. Naturh. Foren., 1876, 402, 108 (Indian 

 Ocean). 



Exoccetns vermiculatus, Poey, Meniorias Cuba; ii, 1861, 300 (Cuba). 



Exocwtus spilonotopierus, Bleeker, "Nederl. Tydscbr. Dierk., iii, 1863, 113" 

 (Sumatra). 



1 Exocoetiis parrn', Poey, Syn. Pise. Cub., 1868, 385; Poey, Enum. Pise. Cub., 

 1875, 122. (Description insufiQcient ; taken from an old drawing.) 



Habitat. — Tropical seas ; north to Cuba. 



We have not studied this species. It is apparently closely related to 

 E.furcatus and E. nigricans, differing from the former, so far as we 

 know, in the coloration of its paired fins. From E. nigricans it further 

 differs in the coloration of the dorsal fin. 



ExocoRtus parrw Poey, described from an old drawing, is too little 

 known to be admitted as a species, or to receive any definite place in 

 the synonymy. 



The Hirimdo of Catesby and the Volador of Parra are rough draw- 

 ings of flying fishes, not recognizable as to the species. 



15. ExoccEtus califoniicus. 



Exocwtus californicus, Cooper, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., iii, 1864, 93, f. 20 (Santa 

 Cataliua Island); Giiuther, vi, 1866, 295 (copied); Jordan and Jouy, 

 Proc. U. S.Nat. Mus., 1881, 13 (Santa Barbara); Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 42, 457 (Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, San Pedro, 

 San Diego); Rosa Smith, Fishes San Diego, 1882 (Coronados Islands; 

 no description). 



Habitat. — Coast of Southern California. 



Upwards of 400 examples of this species were obtained by Professors 

 Jordan and Gilbert oft" Santa Barbara and San Pedro. In this region 

 it is extremely abundant at the spawning season in the summer. It has 

 not been recognized in any other locality nor at any other season. Its 

 young is unknown. All the known examples are similar in size, IC to 

 17 inches in length. It is probably the largest in size of all the flying 

 fishes. It may be readily distinguished by the absence of distinct color 

 markings and by the backward position of the ventrals. 



