[89] REVIEW OF THE SCLENIDJE. 431 



This species has generally received the specific name of alburnus 

 given to it by Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of the Systema Naturae. 

 In the tenth edition of the Systema, Linnaeus had already given the 

 specific name of americanus to the Whiting of Oatesby. There is no 

 doubt that Catesby had this common species in mind, although his 

 rude figure resembles the Surf Whiting {littoralis) fully as much as it 

 does the common Whiting. 



101. MENTICIRRHUS SAXATILIS. 



(The King-fish; Sea Mink.) 

 [Plate IX.] 



Johnius saxatilis Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichtb., 75, 1801 (New York). 



Menticirrhus saxatilis Jordan, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 288, 1883 (note on type of 

 Bloch & Schneider). Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 129 (Key West). 

 Jordan, Cat. Fish. North America, 94, 1885 (name only). 



Umbrina alburnus DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 78, plate 7, fig. 20, 1842 (New 

 York).. Storer, Syn. Fish. North Am., 323, 1846 (Massachusetts) (not Perca 

 alburnus L.). 



Scicena nebulosa Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. New York, 406, plate 3, fig. 5, 

 1815 (New York) (not of Gmelin). 



Umbrina nebulosa Storer, Fishes Massachusetts, 35, 1839 (near Boston light house). 

 Ayres, Fishes of Brookhaven, L. I., 259, 1842. Storer, Hist. Fishi Mass., 124, 

 plate ix, fig. 4, 1867 (Boston light-house; Lynn; Provincetown). Giinther, 

 Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., ii, 275, 1860 (New York). 



Menticirrhus neb ulosus Goode & Bean, Fish. Essex Co. and Mass. Bay, 17, 1879 (Dan- 

 vers ; Spite Bridge ; Marblehead light-house). Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 1880, 93 (Wood's Holl, Mass ; Noank, Conn.; Cohasset Narrows, Mass). Goode, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 113 (St. John's River, Florida). Jordan & Gil- 

 bert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 232 (Pensacola). Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. 

 Fish. North America, 577, 1883. Goode, Hist. Aquat. Anim., 375, plate 127a, 

 1884. 



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

 Key West and Pensacola, most common northward. 



This species is generally common along the coasts of our Northern 

 States, its greatest abundance being north of the limit of M. americanus, 

 a species which it very closely resembles, the differences being of com- 

 paratively little importance. Southward its distribution seems to be 

 peculiar. A large specimen was obtained by Dr. Jordan at Pensacola 

 and several small ones at Key West. All these are very dark in color, 

 but not otherwise evidently different from the common northern form. 

 The name saxatilis should be used for this species. The original type 

 of Johnius saxatilis, sent by Schopf(?) to Bloch, is still in the museum at 

 Berlin, where it has been examined by us. The name saxatilis for the 

 Whiting, like that of regalis for the Weak-fish, came about through a 

 confusion of the vernacular names, the supposed " King-fish " beiug 

 named " Johnius regalis 1 '' by Bloch, and the supposed "Rock-fish," 

 " Johnius saxatilis. " 



