1276 Bulletin ,//, United States National Museum. 



angle scarcely enlarged; nostrils well separated, the posterior slitlike; 

 scales small, those above lateral line arranged in very oblique series, those 

 below in rows nearly horizontal; cheeks with 5 or 6 rows of scales, about 

 two rows on interopercle ; temporal region with 2 or 3 series of large 

 scales before and behind which are many small scales; top of head, 

 snout, and jaws naked; bases of soft dorsal and anal scaly. Dorsal spines 

 rather long and slender, the fin not deeply emarginate, fifth spine longest, 

 2| in head; tenth spine 3|; soft dorsal and anal similar, their* margins 

 nearly straight, the last rays slightly shortened, median rays about 3 in 

 head; caudal fin long, very deeply forked, the upper lobe longest, 3 

 times as long as middle rays, which are 2^ in head; pectorals long and 

 slender, reaching vent, 1| in head; ventrals If in head; anal spines rather 

 weak, the third \ longer than second, 4 in head. Color in life olivaceous 

 above, rather pale, and somewhat violet tinged ; a number of large, irregu- 

 lar deep yellow blotches on sides of back ; a deep yellow stripe from tip 

 of snout straight through eye to caudal peduncle, there broadening and 

 including all of tail above lateral line and behind dorsal fin ; above this a 

 pearly-purplish area; below it a flesh-colored or rosy area or band, 2 scales 

 broad, then a succession of about 16 narrow streaks alternating flesh- 

 color and yellow, growing fainter progressively below; the yellow on 

 the edges of the scales, the reddish on their middles ; iris fiery red ; lower 

 parts of head flesh color with some yellow spots; maxillary mostly yellow ; 

 caudal deep yellow, its edges reddish; dorsal chiefly yellow; anal faintly 

 yellow; ventrals and pectorals translucent. In spirits, all the markings 

 fade, leaving the fins yellowish, the upper parts grayish, the lower rosy- 

 silvery. Length 2 feet. West Indies, and from southern Florida to Brazil ; 

 very abundant at Key West where it is known as "yellow-tail." In Cuba, 

 next to N. analis and N. synagris, the commonest of the snappers. One of 

 the handsomest of the snappers ; here described from a Key West specimen. 

 S, gold; ovpa, tail.) 



Acara pitamba, MARCGRAVE, Hist. Brasil., 155, 1648, Brazil. 



Rabirubia, PARRA, Descr. Dif. Piezas, Hist. Nat., pi. 20, fig. 1, 1787, Cuba. 



Sparus chrysurus, BLOCH, Ichth., pi. 262, 1790, Brazil ; after MARCGRAVE. 



Anthias rabirubia, BLOCK & SCHNEIDER, Syst. Ichth., 309, 1801, Cuba; after PARRA. 



Sparus semiluna, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 141, 1803, Martinique; on a copy of a 



drawing by PLUMIER. 



Mesoprionaurovittatus, AGASSIZ, Spix, Pise. Brasil., pi. 66, 1829, Brazil. 

 Ocyurus rijgersmo&i, COPE, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1871, 468, fig. 4, St. Kitts. 

 Mesoprion chrysurug, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., n, 459, 1828; GUNTHER, 



Cat., i, 186. 

 Ocyurus chrysurus, POEY, Synopsis, 295, 1868; JORDAN & SWAIN, I.e., 461; JORDAN, I.e., 



319; JORDAN & FESLER, I.e., 452. 

 Ocyurus aurovittatus, POEY, Synopsis, 295, 1868. 



Luljanus chrysurus, VAILLANT, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, 133, pi. 5, 1875. 

 Lutjanus melanurus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 548, 1883; not type. 



528. RHOMBOPL1TES, Gill. 

 Rhomboplites, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 237 (aurorubens) . 



This genus differs from Neomosnis chiefly in the character of the cranium. 

 Prefrontals with the articular facets developed from simple tubercles and 

 not V-shaped, the posterior areas cribriform ; basi-sphenoid not lobiger- 



