Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2709 



black ; no black spots on dorsal ; scales thickly punctulate, but with no 

 distinct darker edgings. Related to Symphurus atricaudus (Jordan & Gil- 

 bert), but the body with 4 wide black cross bands, and the form more 

 elongate. Bay of Panama. Many specimens of this species were obtained 

 at Albatross Station 2804, at a depth of 47 fathoms. It is evidently very 

 different from S. atramentatus, and needs comparison only with S. elongatus, 

 from which it seems to be sufficiently distinct. Length of type 4J inches. 

 (Named for Prof. Leslie A. Lee and Mr. Thomas Lee, naturalists on board 

 the Albatross when the species was discovered.) 



Symphurus leei, JORDAN & BOLLMAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, 178, Lat. 8 16' 30" N. 

 Long. 79 37' 45" W. (Type, No. 41134. Coll. Prof. L. A. Lee and Mr. Thomas Lee.) 



3085. SYMPHURUS PLAGUSIA* (Bloch & Schneider) . 



(ACEDIA.) 



Head 5$- to 5f ; depth 3^ to 3| in length. D. 90 to 95 ; A. 75 to 80 ; scales 

 75 to 85. Body rather elongate. Color brownish, often mottled, usually 

 with more or less distinct darker cross bands, and with longitudinal 

 streaks along the rows of scales, sometimes nearly plain brown; caudal 

 black, including a large part of dorsal and anal, the black continuous as in 

 the form of spots. West Indies to Brazil; Cuba to Rio Janeiro; common. 

 The numerous specimens of this species examined by us are from Havana, 

 Pernambuco, Santos, Rio Janeiro, Curuga, and Victoria, (plagusia, an old 

 name, from TtXdyioz, oblique.) 



Plagusia, BROWNE, Jamaica, 445, No. 1,1756, Jamaica. 



Pleuronectes plagusia, BLOCK & SCHNEIDER, Syst.Ichth., 162, 1801, Jamaica; after BROWNE. 



Achirus ornatus, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poisa., iv, 659, 1803, on a specimen "presented by 



Holland to France." 



Plagusia tessellata, QUOY & GAIMARD, Voyage Uranie, Zoologie, 240, 1824, Rio Janeiro. 

 Plagusia brasihensis, AGASSIZ, Spix, Pise. Brasil., 89, tab. 50, 1827, Brazil. 



* The synonymy of this species is somewhat doubtful. The original type of Pleuro- 

 nectes plagiusa was sent to Linnaeus by Dr. Garden, of Charleston. It would therefore 

 appear probable that this specimen represented the species of this genus which is found 

 on the Carolina coast. But this typical specimen is stiL preserved in the rooms of the 

 Linnsean Society in London, where it has been examined by Goode and Bean. From their 

 notes (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1885, 196) we quote: 



"The type of this species may have come from Africa or India. There is considerable 

 doubt as to its origin. (See Garden's Correspondence with Linne, p. 314.) IX ca 92, A. 

 ca 80 ; scales 77. The species is more elongate than our specimens of Aphoristia plagiusa, 

 so called, the depth being contained in the total length without caudal 4J times and the 

 head 6 times." 



As, however, no species of this genus are yet known from Africa or India, it is rather 

 probable that Garden's fish actually came from Charleston. The greater slenderness of 

 the original type is perhaps due to distortion, and the smaller numbei than usual of the 

 scales does not afford a marked distinction. The name Achirus ornatus is also doubtful 

 in its proper application. The only thing distinctive in the description of Lacepede is that 

 the typical specimen was "given by Holland to France." Many of the species in this 

 Dutch collection seem to have come from Surinam, and this is probably no exception. 

 But Lacepede's description might apply as well to any other species of Symphurus as to 

 this. The name Pleuronectes plagusia, given by Schneider to the species described by 

 Browne, seems to admit of no doubt, as this is the only one of the group yet known from 

 Jamaica. If, therefore, the name Symphurus plagiusa be used for the northern species, or 

 dropped altogether as not identified, the present species will stand as Symphurus plagusia. 

 We have compared numerous specimens from Rio Janeiro (representing the nominal 

 species tessellatus or brasiliensis) with others (plagusia =ornata) from Havana. There is 

 certainly no permanent difference. The Brazilian specimens are a little more slender on 

 an average, but there are numerous exceptions, and all variations in color are found 

 in both. 



