[87] FLOUNDERS AND SOLES. 311 



in width and in number ; vertical fins with the membrane 

 of every second or third pair of rays blackish, besides dark 

 cloudings at base of tin ; caudal with numerous longitud- 

 inally oblong spots ; blind side often with round, dark 

 spots, especially in northern specimens, usually immacu- 

 late in southern ones (var. oroivni). Lat. 1. G6 to 75 ; ver- 

 tebrae 8 + 20 = 28 Fasciatus, 1 1 6. 



Jcklc. Dorsal rays 59 or 60 ; anal rays 41 to 45. 



I. [Snout and chin without evident fringe or barbel ; right lower 



lip fringed; head 4 in length; depth If; D. 59, A. 45; 

 scales 63 to 65 ; color brown ; about 12 dark cross-bands on 

 head and body ; between these faint, paler cross-bauds, 

 which form spots on dorsal and anal; caudal similarly 

 spotted, the spots forming obscure cross-bands. (Stehi- 

 dachner) Panamensis, 117. 



II. Snout with a fringe-liko barbel near its tip, as long as eye ; a 



shorter one on the chin ; eyed side with some patches of 

 black hairs ; scales of blind side of head scarcely enlarged or 

 fringed ; scales small, not very rough ; head 3£ in length ; 

 depth 1-J'. D. 60, A. 41; scales 80; color pale, the eyed side 

 with small scattered black points and blotches of varying 

 size ; a few narrow obscure dark cross-streaks ; blind side 

 immaculate Jenynsi, 118: 



105. ACHIRUS ACHIRUS. 



Pleuronecte8 oculis dextris, corf ore glahr o, pinnis pectoralibus nullis Grouow, Museum, i, 



No. 42. (Surinam.) 

 Pleuronectes achirus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, 1758, 268 (based on Gronow). 

 Solea yronovii Giinther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., iv, 1862, 472 (Surinam). 

 Achirus gronovii Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 602. (Name only.) 



Habitat. — Coasts of Guiana. 



We koow this species only from Dr. Gimther's description. We place 

 Achirus gronovii in the synonymy of the Linncean species Pleuronectes 

 achirus. Pleuronectes achirus is based on a description by Gronow of 

 some Achirus from Surinam. Gronow's fish agrees with the present spe- 

 cies in having GO dorsal rays and 48 anal rays, in being brown, with trans- 

 verse black bands, with dark spots on the fins, as well as in coming from 

 Surinam. But Gronow explicitly denies the presence of pectorals, and 

 the present species has rudimentary pectoral fins on both sides. Proba- 

 bly these were overlooked by Gronow, and as no other species found in 

 the same region has so large a number of rays, we feel justified in the 

 use of the name Achirus achirus for this species. 



106. ACHIRUS INSCRIPTUS. 



Achirus inscriptus Gosse, Nat. Sojourn Jamaica, 52, pi. 1, f. 4, 1851 (Jamaica). 



Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 143 (Key West). 

 Solea inscripta Giinther, iv, 1862, 473 (Jamaica). 

 Monochir reticulatus Poey, Memorias, ii, 1861, 317 (Cuba); Synopsis, 409 ; Enumeratio, 



139. 

 Solea reticulata Giinther, iv, 472 (copied). 

 Bmostoma reticulatum Bean &Dresel, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 152 (Jamaica). 



Habitat. — West Indian fauna, north to Key West. 



