430 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [88] 



Were it not that the Scisenoid fauna of South America is chiefly dif- 

 ferent from that of North America, we should scarcely hesitate to place 

 martinicensis in the synonymy of americanus. Umbrina januaria is ap- 

 parently based on the specimens from Rio Janeiro examined by us. 

 Umbrina gracilis was based on the dried skin of a young example, dis- 

 torted and varnished. 



Umbrina arenata, as described by Cuvier & Valenciennes, does not 

 differ at all from 71/. martinicensis. As described by Dr. Gunther, the 

 scales are 72 to 78 in arenata. It is evident, however, that Gunther 

 has counted not the pores, but the number of vertical series of scales, 

 and these range from 70 to 80 in nearly all of our species, the number 

 exceeding the number of pores by about 20, and similarly exceeding 

 the number of oblique series. We see no reason, therefore, for not 

 placing arenata in the synonymy of martinicensis. 



100. MENTICIRRHUS AMERICANUS. 



(The Carolina Whiting.) 

 [Plate VIII.] 



Alburnus americanus (the Whiting) Catesby, Nat. Hist. Carolinas, etc., pi. 12, f. 2 

 (Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 195). 



Cyprinus americanus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, 321, 1758 (based on the Whiting of 

 Catesby) (not Cyprinus americanus of the twelfth edition, which is a Cyprinoid, 

 Notemigonus bosci Cuv. & Val.). 



Perca alburnus Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. xii, 482, 1886 (on specimens sent from Charles- 

 ton by Dr. Garden). Schopf, Scbrift. Naturf. Freunde Berlin, viii, 162, 

 1788. Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 87, 1801. 



Centropomus alburnus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 249,257,264, 1802. 



Scicena alburnus Gronow, Cat. Fish., ed. Gray, 51, 1854 (South Carolina). 



Umbrina alburnus Cuvier & Valenciennes, v, 180, 1830 (in part). Holbrook, Ichthyol, 

 S. Carolina, 136, plate 20, fig. 2, 1856 (South Carolina). Gunther, Cat. Fish. 

 Brit. Mus., ii, 275, 1860. 



Mcnticirrhus alburnus Uhler & Lugger, Fishes of Maryland, 101, 1876 (Chesapeake 

 Bay). Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1878, 378 (Beaufort). Goode, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1879, 113 (Saint John's River, Florida). Goode & Bean, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1879, 132 (Pensacola). Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., 1882, 282 (Galveston). Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1882, 6C6 (Charleston). Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. North Am., 577, 1883; 

 Goode, Hist. Aquat. Anini., 376, plate 127 b, 1884. Goode & Bean, Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., 1885, 202 (Linnsean types). Jordan, Cat. Fish. North America, 94, 

 1885 (name only). 



Umbrina phalcena Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1858, 167 (Indianola, Brazos 

 Santiago). Girard, U. S. and Mex. Bound. Survey, 13, 1859. 



Habitat. — South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, 

 Chesapeake Bay to Texas. 



This species is very common on the sandy coasts of our Southern 

 States, where it is a food-fish of some importance. 



As elsewhere stated, this may be identical with the South American 

 Menticirrhus martinicensis. 



