414 DR. GUNTHEE ON THE FISHES OF. CEXTEAL AMEKICA. 



it would be better not to separate it ; tlie only difference which I can find is the form 

 of the soft dorsal fin, which is considerably liigher than the spinous in the Mediterranean 

 species. 



22. Pristipoma melanopterum. 



Pristipoma melanopterum, Cuv. & Val. v. 1830, j). 273. 



bilineatum, Cuv. & Val. v. 1830, p. 271, pi. 122. 



Hamulon melanopterum, Ranzani, Comm. Bonon. v. 1842, p. 343, tab. 30. 

 Prisiipoma melanopterum, Giintli. Fish. i. 1859, p. 287. 



\ar. Genytremus interruptus. Gill, Proo. Acad. Nat. Sc. Pliilad. 1802, p. 256. 

 Pristipoma melanopterum, Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, pp. 23 & 27. 



This .species occurs on both sides of Central America, Capt. Dow having collected 

 specimens at Panama and Colon. Mr. Gill has found it also in a collection of fishes 

 from Lower California. He describes his Pacific specimen as a distinct species ; but the 

 distinctive characters are, according to my ^iews, not of specific value. He mentions it 

 in the following terms: — 



" The species is so closely allied to hilineatus, tliat it might be even considered as a 

 ^■ariety, but it appears to differ by the steel-blue colour of the back, and the discon- 

 tinuance of the lateral band a short distance before the spot on the taiP ; at its end the 

 l)and is bounded below by the lateral line. In. other respects, the two species are so 

 similar, that a detailed description would be only a repetition of that of bilineatus." 



2.S. Pristipoma viRGiNicunr. 

 We have examined specimens of this species from the West Indies, from the Atlantic 

 coasts of Central America, and from Bahia. Mr. Gill has described an example from 

 Panama under the denomination of Anisotremus tceniatus, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. 1861, 

 p. 107. Although six or seven is the normal number of longitudinal bands, it is some- 

 times increased by a more or less complete division of one or several bands. It appears 

 to be more natural to consider the golden colour the ground-colour than the blue, as 

 after death it fades into the same colour as that of the space between the black vertical 

 bands. In all specimens, I have found the bluish bands edged with purplish. Mr. Gill, 

 in describing his A. tceniatus, has taken the blue colour as ornamental, whilst in his 

 description of A. virginicus the character assigned to the colours is reversed, and the 

 blue colour regarded as ground-colour. There is no specific diflPcrence between these 

 fishes. 



24. Pristipoma dovii. 

 Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 23, pi. 3. fig. 1. 



D. 1^. A. |. L. lat. 48. L. transv. 8 '15. 

 The height of the body is one-half of the total length (without caudal) ; the length 

 of the head one-third. Snout obtuse, not much longer than the eye ; cleft of tlie 

 ' This i.s ulso the case in some Atlantic specimens. 



