NOTE ON THE GENERA OE SYNANCEINE AND PELORINE 



FISHES. 



By Theodore Gill, 



Honorarii Associate in Zoology. 



For a long time I have been in doubt respecting- the application of 

 the name Synanceia and the consequent nomenclature of some other 

 genera of the same group. Complication has resulted by reason of 

 the intrusion of the incompetent Swainson into the field. 



In 1801 Bloch and Schneider's name Synanceja was published 

 (p. 194) with a definition, and the only species mentioned were named 

 as follows: 



1. HoRRiDA Synanceia horrida. 



2. Uranoscopa Tracldcephalus uranoscopus. 



3. Verrucosa Synanceia verrucosa. 



4. DiDACTYLA Simopias didactylus. 



5. RuBicuNDA Simopias didactylus. 



6. Papillosus Scorpsena cottoides. 



Two of the species having been withdrawn from the genus by Cuvier 

 to foi'm the genus Pelor (1817), and one to serve for the genus Trachi- 

 cephalus (1839), the name Synanceja was thus restricted to tlie horrida 

 and verrucosa. 



In 1839 Swainson attempted to reclassif}^ the Sjmanceines and 

 named three genera, but on each of the three pages of his work (II, 

 pp. 61, 180, 268) in which he treats of those fishes he has expressed 

 difl'erent views. 



On page 61 the names of Sj^nanchia, Pelor, Erosa, Trichophasia, and 

 Hemitripterus appear as "genera of the Synanchinte" and analogues 

 of five genera of "Scorpaeninte." 



On page 180 the following names are given under the head of 

 Synanchinae: 



Agriopus. 



Synanchia, with three subgenera, viz: 



Synanchia. 



Bufichthys. 



TrachicephahxH. 

 Trichodon. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXVIII— No. 1394. 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxviii— 0-1 15 221 



