Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1255 



with a A-shaped patch of teeth, usually without backward prolongation 

 on mediaii line, but sometimes with a short median prolongation (/"\- 

 shaped), its length always less than the width of the patch in front; 

 pterygoid and hyoid bones without teeth. Gill rakers rather short and 

 thick, about -J- length of diameter of eye, about 8 on lower arch; no rudi- 

 ments. Preopercle with posterior margin nearly vertical, the emargina- 

 tion broad and shallow; preopercle finely serrate above the teeth, coarser 

 just above the angle; lower limb almost entire. Scales rather large, 

 loosely attached ; cheeks with about 8 rows, 1 row on interopercle, 1 row 

 on subopercle, and about 7 on opercle; temporal region with about two 

 rows of large scales; tubes of lateral line simple; base of soft dorsal 

 and anal scaly. Dorsal spines rather strong, the outline of the fin gently 

 convex, the fourth spine longest, 3 in head; the tenth spine, 6 in head; 

 anal spines strong, the second spine stronger, slightly shorter than third, 

 which is 5 in head; caudal little forked; pectorals about If in head. Color 

 dusky-gray, paler below, the belly sometimes tinged with reddish; mem- 

 branes of dorsal, anal, and caudal grayish-black, the anal and soft dorsal 

 especially blackish ; ventrals blackish at tip ; pectorals plain olivaceous, 

 the base and inner margin dusky ; head dusky above, without markings. 

 Length 2 to 4 feet; length of specimen described (from Cuba) 17| inches. 

 West Indies to Brazil, rather common; a large coarse fish regarded as 

 unwholesome by fishermen. (nvavzoS, blue; Ttrepov, fin.) 



Mesoprion cyanopterus, CUVIER <fc VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 472, 1828, Brazil. 



? Mesoprion pargus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 473, 1828, Puerto Rico. 



Lufjanus cubera, POEY, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y. 1871, 75, Cuba; POET, Enumeratio, 27, 

 1875; JORDAN & SWAIN, I. c.,442. 



Lutfanus dentatus, A. DUMERIL in VAILLAXT & BOCOURT, Miss. Sci. au Mex., 125, 1881, 

 Brazil. 



Lutjanvs cynodon, POEY, Synopsis, 294, 1868. 



Mi'xoprion cynodon, POEY, Repertorio, n, 268, 1868; not of CUVIER & VALENCIENNES. 



Lutjanits ci/aiiop/crns. JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, 534 (examination of type) ; JOR- 

 DAN & FESLER, I. c., 440. 



1633. NEOM.ENIS GRISEUS (Linnaeus). 

 (GRAY SNAPPER; MANGROVE SNAPPER; CABELLEROTE; LAWYER.) 



Head 2; depth 2J to 3*. D. X, 14; A. Ill, 8; scales (6) 7-50-12; 47 

 pores. Body comparatively elongate, the back not strongly compressed, 

 little elevated; profile almost straight from snout to nape, thence gently 

 convex. Snout rather pointed, 3 in head. Eye rather small, 4f in head. 

 Interorbital space gently convex, 6 in head; occipital keel little promi- 

 nent; preorbital rather broad, 5| to 6| in head. Mouth large; jaws sub- 

 equal; maxillary reaching front of pupil, 2f in head; upper jaw with a 

 narrow band of villiform teeth, outside of which is a single series of 

 enlarged teeth; 4 canines in front of upper jaw, 2 of them quite large i 

 diameter of eye; lower jaw with a very narrow band of villiform teeth in 

 front of jaw only ; outside of these a single row of teeth larger than outer 

 teeth of upper jaw, becoming caninelike in adult; tongue with an oval 

 patch of teeth, its width about | its length; vomer with an arrow-shaped 



