[55] REVIEW OF THE SCT^ENID^, 397 



rather slender and short, about § length of pupil. In most of the species 

 of the other groups (Ophioscion, &e.) they are very few, short and 

 thiekish, usually not more than half the length of the pupil. The form 

 of the body offers nothing which can be used for generic distinction, as 

 the intergradations are very perfect. The same can be said of the 

 form and the squamation of the fins. 



We may, however, recognize for convenience' sake a number of sub- 

 genera, all but one (Bola) of them being represented by species occurring 

 within our limits. 



We think that there is no doubt that the generic name, Scicena, should 

 go with Scicena umbra (the type of Gorvina Cuvier), if the laws of nomen- 

 clature followed by us be admitted. 



There are three members of the preseut family found in European 

 waters. Two of these, cirrosa and umbra, were known to Linnreus and 

 to Artedi, and on these the genus was primarily based. The third, aquila, 

 was unknown to these authors, and could not therefore with any sort of 

 propriety be taken as the type of a Linnrean genus. The group was first 

 knowingly subdivided by Cuvier in 1817. First separating cirrosa as 

 the type of the genus Umbrina, he retains in Scicena proper (" les Scie- 

 nes proprement dites") two species (" Scicena umbra L." and "Scicena 

 aquila nobis"). This is a perfectly proper arrangement, and of this 

 genus, Scicena, as thus restricted by Cuvier, Sckvna umbra must be re- 

 garded as the type. 



Later, in 1829, this Scicena umbra was made the type of the new genus 

 Gorvina, as Corvina nigra GriViev, while the non-Linnrean species "aquila 1 " 1 

 was left as the type of Scicena. This arrangement has been followed by 

 nearly all recent writers, but it is manifestly inadmissible, except to 

 authors to whom, as to Cuvier, all laws of nomenclature are subordinate 

 to personal caprice or convenience. 



Eecently Dr. Bleeker has proposed to take, as the type of Scicena, 

 the Umbrina cirrosa, because this is the species mentioned first by Ar- 

 tedi. In the rules now generally followed, this matter of being placed 

 first in the genus is not regarded as an element of any importance. 

 The restriction proposed by Bleeker must therefore give way to the 

 earlier one of Cuvier, and the name Scicena must be regarded as syn- 

 onymous with Gorvina. There is the less to be regretted from the fact 

 that Gorvina has usually been regarded as a generic name for all Scise- 

 noids with conspicuous anal spines, and members of a dozen different 

 genera have been from time to time referred to it. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF SCICENA. 



a. Preopercle, with its bony margin armed with strong persistent spines, which do 



not disappear with age ; (caudal fin not lunate ; soft 

 dorsal and anal scaly; species of small .size). (Ojphi- 

 08cion Gill.) 

 b. Caudal fin convex or lanceolate, the middle rays longest, often nearly as long as 



head; soft dorsal with 10 to 23 rays; head low, the 

 snout somewhat projecting. 



