ON THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA. 11 



CHAPTER II. 

 LIST OF FISHES CAUGHT ON THE EAST COAST. 



In the classification, nomenclature, and illustrations in the follow- 

 ing list I have followed " Bulletin No. 47 " of the United States Na- 

 tional Museum, prepared by David Starr Jordan, Ph. D. , President of 

 the Leland Stanford University, and Barton Warren Evermann, Ph. D., 

 Ichthyologist of the United States Fish Commission, which work was 

 completed in four volumes in March, 1900, and is entitled "The 

 Fishes of North and Middle America, a Descriptive Catalogue of the 

 Species of Fish -like Vertebrates found in the waters of North America, 

 North of the Isthmus of Panama. " It contains descriptions of 3,263 

 species, and 958 illustrations of fishes. As is well known, the United 

 States National Museum is under the supervision of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



The above work is a continuation, revision, and correction of 

 Bulletin 16 of the United States National Museum, published in 1883 

 by Jordan & Gilbert, entitled " Synopsis of the Fishes of North 

 America," with addition of species discovered between the dates of 

 the two bulletins, so is the standard authority at this time as to the 

 classification and scientific and common names of the fishes of North 

 America. 



It, naturally, must be the authority, or " court of last resort," to 

 decide all disputes as to the correct names of all the fishes mentioned 

 in it, and there are many disputes as to the common names. In the 

 United States Fish Commission Report of 1895 there is a " Check 

 List " of the scientific names in the above work, in which is included 

 the common names of many of the fishes, and there is also a separate 

 " List of Common names of fishes occurring in the Check List. ' ' Only 

 Vol. 1, of Bulletin 47, had been printed when the Report of 1895 

 was issued, other volumes being in manuscript. In the report of 

 1899 there is a " Check List of the fishes of Florida," giving their 

 scientific and many of their common names. 



While I follow Jordan & Evermann as to classification and nomen- 

 clature, I give priority to the common name by which each fish is 

 known to the market fishermen, sportsmen, and residents of the East 

 Coast of Florida. 



