248 THE DACTYLOPTEROIDEA — GILL. 



various writers in iiiakiug approximations of lisiics. Although Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes had correctly described the pectorals sixty years ago, 

 later writers have reversed the two parts and called the small anterior 

 portion the lower, and the posterior or inferior the npper portion of the 

 fim Thus Dr. Giinther, in the second volume of the "• Catalogue of the 

 Acanthoptergzian fishes in the British Museum " (p. 221 ), has described, 

 himself italicizing the characteristics, " Pectoral very long {organ for fly- 

 ing), icitli the lower portion detached and shorter.''^ The same view has 

 been taken by Professors Jordan and Gilbert, who have evidently fol- 

 lowed Dr. Giinther, in the " Synopsis of the fishes of I^"orth Amrrica" 

 and in the Manual of the vertebrates of the northern United States, by 

 Jordan. Dr. Liitken had shown the error of such a view, and Dr. Giinther, 

 in his "Introduction to the study of fishes," has corrected his former error. 

 Looking at the fish, one can not help wondering that such an error could 

 ever have been made, and it was probal)ly due to some false idea of an 

 analogy between the small portion of the fin with its few rays and the 

 three detached rays of the Triglidie or the two of the Peristedirida\ A 

 very slight consideration of the morphology of the fin, however, would 

 have sufficed to have prevented sucli a blunder. 



The only recognized genus of the family is Dactylopterus, which has 

 received various names. 



DACTYLOPTERUS. 

 Hynonynis. 



Pungitins Linnmis Mus. Ad. Frietl., p. 74, 1754. 



Cephalocauthns Laccpede, Hist. Nat. Poissons, t, 3, p. 323 (Yonng) ISOl. 

 Dactylopterus Laceptdc, Hist. Nat. Poissons, t, 3, p. 325 (Mature) 1801. 

 Dactylophorus Swaitison, Nat. Hist. Fishes, etc., v. 2, pp. 55, 179, '202, 1839. 

 Gonoccphalus Gronovius Syst. Ich., Gray ed., p. 106, 1854. 



Gephalacanthus has been adopted in place of Bactyloplerns by a few 

 because it happened to be printed two pages in advance of tiie latter, 

 but, while it is a much better name, the reason for adopting it is insuf- 

 ficient as the two names were evidently published at the same time and 

 Dactylopterus has been almost universally adopted. 



Dactylophorus was simply the result of a misreading or misai)prehen- 

 sion by Swainson^ and Dactylopterus is elsewhere used by him in the 

 same work (v. 1, pp. 17, 27 ; v. 2, pp. 415-419*). 



Gonoccphalus is a name given in a manuscript finished by Gronovius 

 about 1780, but unpublished till 1854. 



The only figures illustrative of the osteology of Dactylopterus I have 

 seen are the following : 



DACTYLOPTERUS VOLITANS. 



Dactylopterus volitans Sorensen, Lydorganer has Fiske (Naturhist. Tijdskr., 1884), 

 pp. 75-78, pi. 3, fig. 37-42, 1834. 



* Seven uew specificuanies are given I y Swainson to what are, in most cases at least, 

 formerly described species, owing to various uiisapprehousions. 



