1408 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



Christian, Mississippi, the other from Hampton Roads, Virginia. The 

 only differential characters which we have noted are given above in the 

 analysis of species. Cynoscion ihalassiniis may, perhaps, be found to 

 inhabit a different depth of water than that which the common Weakfish 

 frequents. For the present we may treat the 2 as distinct species. 

 Depth 4f; head 3|; D. X-I, 24; A. II, 11; scales 56. Body compressed, 

 not especially elevated, of about the same depth everywhere between the 

 ventrals and the vent; caudal peduncle rather loug and stout. Head 

 pointed, subconical; profile straight, scarcely descending; eye rather 

 large, If in snout, 5 in head; mouth large, oblique, premaxillary ante- 

 riorly on a level with the upper margin of the pupil; maxillary ex- 

 tending beyond the p'upil; lower jaw strongly projecting, its tip entering 

 the profile. Teeth of the lower jaw in 2 series, anteriorly in a single 

 series, those in front small and subequal, the inner ones recurved, those 

 of the side much larger; teeth of upper jaw in 2 series, those of the 

 outer series scarcely decreasing in size toward the angle, those of the 

 inner series becoming minute on the sides; canines moderate, -J- the diam- 

 eter of the eye. Preopercle with a striated and deiitated dermal margin; 

 gill rakers slender; those near the angle the length of the eye; lower 

 pharyngeals weak and long, grooved below; teeth at the angle several 

 times as large as the rest, all more or less recurved, the anterior ones 

 specially so; teeth of the upper pharyngeals unequal. First dorsal spine 

 inserted above the end of the first fourth of the ventrals, the spines 

 slender, the third highest, reaching to the ninth spine, 2f in head ; second 

 anal spine about twice as large as the first, 2| in length of eye; anal rays 

 2f in head; pectorals broken; ventrals slightly less than 2 in head; soft 

 dorsal apparently not scaly, but so mutilated in our specimen that we can 

 not be certain of this; scales very weakly ctenoid; lateral line somewhat 

 wavy anteriorly, becoming straight under the fourth or fifth dorsal ray. 

 Color brownish above, lighter below; middle of sides with many dark 

 dots; a dark blotch on upper corners of opercle and cheek; axil and inner 

 margin of pectoral black; spinous dorsal black; soft dorsal and caudal 

 dusky ; the rest of the fins pale. The specimen from Pass Christian has no 

 scales on dorsal or anal at present, but the marks showing their former 

 presence 011 the basal parts of the fin are evident. Gill rakers x-\-8, the 

 longestf eye; snout 3f in head. D. X-I, 25; A. I, 10. In the specimen 

 from Hampton Roads the gill rakers are x-\-9' snout 3^ in head. D. X-I, 

 25. The coloration is essentially as in rcgalis, but in all these specimens 

 it is more silvery, the dark markings less distinct. Length 12 inches. 

 (thalassinus, pertaining to OaAatftfcr, the sea.) 



Otolithus thalassinus, HOLBROOK, Icbtb. South Carolina, 132, pi. 18, fig. 2, 1859, Charles- 

 ton, South Carolina; GUNTHER, Cat., II, 308. 

 Cynoscion thalassinus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis. 581. 

 Cestreus regalis thalassinus, JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 366. 



1782. CYNOSCIOX RETICULATUS (Giintlier). 



(CORVINA. ) 



Head 3; depth 4f. D. X-I, 28; A. II, 9; scales 9-60-15. Body com- 

 paratively deep and compressed; head somewhat conical, the snout not 



