42 



Acanthurus cceruleus, Schneidek, Bloch, Syst. Ichth. 1801, 214. — Cirv. & Val., 

 Hist. Nat. Poiss. s, 1835, 179.— Guichenot, Poiss. in Sagra, Hist. Nat. Cuba, 

 1845, 121.— Storer, Syn. Fish. N. Amer. 1846, 112.— Castelnau, Anim. Nouv. 

 ou Eares, Am6rique du Sud, 1855, 25,' pi. 12, f. 2. — Guxther, Cat. Fish. Brit. 

 Mus. iii, 1861, 336.— Poey, Eep. Fis.-Nat. Cuba, ii, 1868, 355.— Cope, Trans. Am. 

 Phil. Soc. 1870, 474. 



ISTot uDCommon. The species extends through the West Indies, and 

 has also been observed on the coasts of Florida and South Carolina. 

 Its quick nervous movements, as it plays about the recesses in the reef, 

 are very characteristic. The local name has reference to the lancet-lilie 

 processes on the sides of the caudal peduncle. The "Barbero" and 

 "Barbeiro" of Cuba and Brazil, and the " Chirurgien-bleu," "Porte 

 Lancette," and " Saigneur" of the French Antilles, are names of similar 

 origiu. 



Color. — Bluish-brown ; dorsal and anal with numerous obliquely lon- 

 gitudinal lines of light blue. Caudal spine amber-colored, glassy, pos- 

 teriorly half as long as anteriorly. A prominence in front of orbit j 

 profile of snout slightly concave. Operculum, pre-operculum, and scap- 

 ular bones with deep striae. Upper jaw with seven, lower with eight 

 five to eight lobed incisors. 



ACANTHUEUS CHIRUEGUS, (Bloch) Schneider. 



DOCTOR-FISH. 



Chcetodon nigricans, Bloch, Ichth. vi, 1787, 60, tab. cciii (not Linn€). 



Acanthurus nigricans, Schneider, Bloch, Syst. Ichth. 1801, 211. 



Chcetodon chirurgus, Bloch, oj). cit. tab. ccviii. — Gmelin, Linu6, Syst. Nat. 1788, 1259. 



Acanthurus chirurgus, Schneider, op. cit. 214. — Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss. x, 

 1835, 168.— Guichenot, Poiss. in Sagra, Hist. Nat. Cuba, 1845, 120. — Storer, 

 Syn. Fish N. Am. 1846, 112. — Castelnau, Anim. Nouv. ou Eares, Am^rique 

 du Sud, 1855, 24.— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. iii, 1861, 329.— Poey, Eep. 

 Fis. Nat. Cuba, ii, 1868, 355.— Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. Phila. 1870, 474,— 

 Gill in Baird's Eep. Fisheries of Southern New England, 1873, 801. 



Acronurusfuscus, Gronow, Cat. Fish. (1780), ed. Gray, 1854, 191. 



This species undoubtedly occurs, associated as it always is with the 

 preceding. The name " Tang," found in the list of local names, is prob- 

 ably applied to one or both, if we can judge from the remarkable corre- 

 spondence of the local names in the Bermuda and Bahama groups. 



