1490 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



backward to the tips of the middle caudal rays; body below this band sil- 

 very white, above it somewhat darker. West Indies, ranging northward 

 to Pensacola ; rather common southward ; an interesting fish of a beautiful 

 and singular coloration, resembling that of a chsetodont. The specimen 

 described by us was taken near Pensacola. (lanceolatus, lance-shaped.) 



Ribband Fish, EDWARDS, "Gleanings, pi. 210," Guadeloupe; Carolina. 



Chcetodon lanceolatus, LINNAEUS, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 277, 1758, Caraibes Islands; based on 



EDWARDS, pi. 210. 



Serrana, PARRA, Piezas do Hist. Nat. de Cuba, pi. 2, upper figure, 1787, Cuba. 

 Eques americanus, BLOCK, Ichthyol., pi. 347, 1793, West Indies. 

 Eques balteatus, CUVIER, Kegne Animal, Ed. 2, n, pi. 29, fig. 2, 1829, Martinique; after 



EDWARDS; CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 165, 1830. 

 Scice.na edwardi, GRONOW, Cat. Fish., Ed. Gray, 53, 1854, Indian Seas ; after EDWARDS. 

 Eques lanceolatus, GUNTHER, Cat., n, 279, I860; POKY, Enumeratio, 49, 1875; JORDAN & 



GILBERT, Synopsis, 932, 1883; JORDAN & EIGENMANN, I. c., 442, 1889. 



Group OIEKHITOLDEI. 



(THE ClRRHITOID FlSHES.) 



This group agrees with the Percoidea in most respects, the chief exter- 

 nal difference lying in the form of the pectorals, which have broad pro- 

 current bases as in the Scorpamidcu, the lower rays being unbranched and 

 more or less thickened. One family * is represented in our waters. 



Family CLVI. CIRRHITID^. 



(THE ClRRHITOIDS.) 



Body compressed, oblong, covered with moderate scales which are 

 cycloid or ctenoid; lateral line continuous, concurrent with the back, not 

 extending on caudal ; mouth low, terminal, with lateral cleft ; eye lateral, of 

 moderate size; premaxillaries protractile; maxillary narrow, not sheathed 

 by preorbital ; teeth small, pointed, occasionally with canines sometimes 

 present on vomer or palatines; cheeks without bony suborbital stay; 

 branchiostegals 3 to 6, usually 6 ; gill membranes separate, free from the 

 isthmus; preopercle serrate or entire; opercle unarmed; no spines or ser- 

 rations on bones of cranium ; dorsal fin continuous, long, the spinous and 

 soft parts subequal, the spines not depressible in a groove; soft dorsal 

 low; spines rather low and strong; pectoral fin short and broad as in the 

 Coltidw, lower half of fin with its rays simple and generally stout; the 

 membranes deeply incised; ventral fins thoracic, but considerably behind 

 root of pectorals, the rays I, 5; air bladder large and complicated or want- 

 ing; pyloric cieca few; vertebra* _ 10 + 16=26; skull very compact and 

 solid. t Carnivorous fishes of the warm seas; genera 10; species 40; appar- 



* This family should apparently be placed among the Percoidea near the Serranidce. 

 t Dr. Giiiither gives in substance the following description of the skeleton of Parracir- 

 rhites forsteri (BToch & Schneider) : 



