1262 Bulletin .//, United States National Museum. 



of pupil, 2f in head; upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform teeth, 

 outside of which is a series of moderately enlarged teeth ; 4 rather strong 

 canines, 2 of them longer, about \ diameter of pupil; lower jaw with 

 a single series of unequal teeth as strong as upper; inside of these is 

 a narrowband of villiform teeth in front of jaw only; tongue with a 

 single long oval patch of teeth, its length more than twice its width; 

 vomer with a broadly arrow-shaped patch of teeth with a backward 

 prolongation on median line, its length scarcely greater than width 

 of patch in front; no teeth on pterygoid or hyoid bones. Gill rakers 

 numerous, about 12 developed on lower part of arch, besides 5 or 6 very 

 small or rudimentary ones, those near the angle larger, their length 2^ 

 in eye. Preopercle with its posterior margin oblique and nearly straight, 

 a broad and rather shallow notch above its angle, its edge strongly ser- 

 rate, the teeth coarser at angle and on lower limb. Scales rather small, 

 the rows above the lateral line running upward and backward, the rows 

 below nearly horizontal; about 6 rows of scales on the cheeks, 1 or 2 

 rows on interopercle, 1 row on subopercle, 7 or 8 rows on opercle ; bases 

 of soft dorsal and anal scaly, the outline of the fins rather strongly 

 convex ; temporal region with a band of large scales, behind which are 

 small scales; top of head, snout, and jaws naked. Dorsal spines mod- 

 erately strong, the fifth spine 2f in head, the tenth spine 3| in head ; 

 margin of soft dorsal nearly straight, its rays almost of equal length, 

 3f in head; caudal moderately forked, the upper lobe slightly the longer, 

 If length of middle rays, which are 2J in head ; margin of anal gently 

 convex, the middle rays slightly longer than last, 2^ in head, the tip of 

 first soft ray almost reaching tip of last ray when the fin is depressed; 

 anal spines strong, the second longer and stronger than third spine, 2f in 

 head; ventrals 1| in head; pectorals reaching opposite first soft ray of 

 anal, 1 in head. Color in life crimson, silvery below, flashed with crimson ; 

 axil and base of pectorals jet-black; eye orange; dorsal crimson, its edge 

 scarlet; caudal orange-yellow, as also part of caudal peduncle; last rays 

 of soft dorsal, most of anal and ventrals, yellow ; pectorals, base of anal, 

 and ventral spines pinkish. In spirits the bright colors fade, leaving the 

 body pale reddish, the base of the pectoral within and without jet-black. 

 West Indies ; a small and strongly marked species, common in the deeper 

 waters about Havana, and known in the markets as sesi or sesi de lo alto, 

 (boucanelle, a name used in Martinique.) 



Mesoprion buccanella, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 455, 1828, Marti- 

 nique; GUNTHER, Cat., i, 198. 



Mesoprion caudanotatus, POEY, Memorias, I, pi. 3, fig. 2, 440, 1851, Cuba. 



Lutjanus buccanella, POEY, Synopsis, 295, 1868; JORDAN & SWAIN, L c., 445; JORDAN, Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus. 1889, 648 r JORDAN & FESLER, I c., 445. 



1639. NE03OENIS VITANUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



(PARGO DE LO ALTO; SlLK SNAPPER.) 



Head 2f; depth 3. D. X, 14; A. Ill, 8; scales (7) 8-72-17, 50 pores. 

 Body rather slender, subelliptical, the back not greatly elevated ; profile 

 very slightly convex from snout to nape, thence more arched; snout rather 



