Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1617 



male) ; head without evident blue lines ; a blue vertical streak on each 

 scale, as in other species; no silvery blotch, and no inky spot on body. 

 Martinique. Here described from the original types of martinicertsis and 

 vitta in the museum at Paris. The 2 are not evidently different, although 

 they are not in very good condition for comparison. The characters of 

 this species are yet to be made out from fresh specimens, (martinicensis, 

 from Martinique.) 



The following are our notes on the types of these nominal species : 

 Xyrichthys martinicensis: Eight specimens, about .135 mm. long, in poor 

 condition; Martinique. (Garnot.) Color faded; 1 specimen (male) with 

 dark fins. Anterior profile rather less trenchant than in X. psittacus. 

 Canines strong, j on each side. No scales on head. Anterior dorsal spines 

 not produced; none of the spines pungent. Head 3* in length; depth 

 about the same. Scales 29. 



Xyrichthys vitta: From the " Cabinet du Stadhouder;" .14 mm. long. 

 Specimen a little deeper than the types of X. martinicensis (head 3| ; depth 

 5i), but apparently not otherwise different. A yellowish streak along 

 sides where the muscles join (perhaps not evident in life). 



Xyrichthys martinicensis , CUVIEB & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xiv, 49, 1839, Martin- 

 ique ; JORDAN, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, 541 (note on type) ; JORDAN, Review Labroid 

 Fishes, 659, 1890. 



Xyrichthys vitta, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., xiv, 51, 1839, no locality 

 given ; JORDAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1886, 541 (note on type). 



Novacula martinicensis, GUNTHER, Cat., iv, 171, 1862. 



644. XYRICHTHYS, Cuvier. 

 (RAZOR-FISHES. ) 



Xyrichthys, CUVIER, M6moires du Museum d'Hist. Nat., i, 324, 329, 1815 (novacula). 



Novacula, CUVIER, Regne Animal, Ed. I, 265 1817 (novacula); Novacula of BLEEKER and 

 GUNTHER, not Novacula, GILL, which is Hemipteronotus of LACEPEDE and BLEEKER, 

 a genus distinguished from Iniistius, GILL, by its scaly cheeks. 



Amorphocephalus, BOWDICH, Exc. Madeira, 238, 1825 (granulatus). 



Body oblong, compressed, deepest behind the occiput, thence tapering 

 backward. Head very short and deep, the profile almost vertical, the 

 upper and anterior outlines compressed to a sharp edge; profile parabolic. 

 Preorbital very deep. Eyes small, high, placed near the top of the head. 

 Mouth small, low; 2 anterior canines in each jaw, no posterior canines. 

 Cheek and opercles naked, or with only a few very small scales below 

 the eye. Scales large, with membranaceous edges, about 26 in a longi- 

 tudinal series; the lateral line running on the second row of large scales 

 below the dorsal sheath; lateral line interrupted behind, commencing 

 again lower down on the caudal peduncle. Dorsal fin continuous, with 9 

 pungent spines essentially alike. Colors brilliant. Tropical seas. (%vpov, 

 razor; zj^S, fish.) 



a. Black ocellus larger than eye at base of caudal, just below lateral line; none on dor- 



gal fi n> MUNDICEPS, 2028, 



aa. Black ocellus wanting, not present anywhere on body or on fins in either sex. 



6. Scales of sides of body each with a vertical blue spot. General color more or 

 less red; side of body with a diffuse silvery area below and behind the 



