54 



Hcemulon chrysopferon, Cur. &, Val,, Hist. Nat. Poiss. v, 1830, 240— DeKay, New York 

 Fauna, Fishes, 1842, 85, pi. vii, f. 22.— Storer, Syn. Fish. N. Am. 1846, 75.— 

 HOLLROOK, Ichth. South Carolina, 1855, 120, pi. xvii, f. 1.— Gunther, Cat. 

 Fish. Brit. Mus. i, 1861, 313.— Gill, in Baird's Kep. Sea Fisheries of S. New 

 England, 1873, 806. 



The Margate-fish of the fishermen is probably this species. It is 

 common in summer, but was not to be found in the markets at the time 

 of my visit. The species is recorded from the West Indies and Brazil. 

 The fishermen recognize several others, as theYellow, Streaked, Spotted, 

 and Black Grunts, all of which probably belong to this family, if not to 

 this genus. 



LUTJA;t^US CAXIS, {Schneider) Pocij. 



Geay Snapper. 



Caxis, Parra, Descr. Dif. Pie. Hist. Nat. Cuba, 1787, 14, lam. viii, f. 2. 



Spams Caxis, Schneider, Bloch, Syst. Ichth. 1801, 284. 



Lutjanus Caxis, Poey, Eep. Fis.-Nat. Cuba, i, 1867, 269; ii, 1868, 293. — Gill, in Baird's 



Eeport on Sea Fisheries of S. New England, 1873, 806. 

 Bodianus Vivanet, LAClipiiDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. iv, 1803, pi. iv, f. 3 (on a figure by 



Plumier). 

 Sparus tetracanthus, Bloch, Ichth. viii, 1797, 279, 930 (on a figure of Plumier). 

 Cichla tetracantha, Schneider, op. cit. 338. 

 ? Bodianus striaius {Fasciatus), Schneider, op. cit. 335, tab. Ixv. 

 Lutjanus acvtirostris, Desmarest, D^c. Ichth. pi. ii, f. 1 (fide Cuvier). 

 Mcboprion griseus, Cuv. & Val., His. Nat. Poiss. ii, 1829, 471.— Storer, Syn. Fish. N. Am. 



1846, 34,— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. i, 1861, 195. 



Very common ; distributed, also throughout tlie Caribbean Sea and 

 the Gulf of Mexico, and, according to Giinther, who considers it 

 identical with Mesoprion goreensis Cuv. & Val., extendiug east to the 

 African coast. It breeds abundantly, and hundreds of individuals 

 from four feet to four inches in length may be seen in almost any sheltered 

 nook. It is one of the most delicious of food-fish, its flavor not unlike that 

 of the Blue-fish (Pomatomus saltatrix). Its extreme cunning renders it 

 very difficult to c<ipture with either hook, pot, or grains, and has gained 

 it the soubriquet of "Sea Lawyer". The market-name is ''Gray Snapper". 



Color.— Dark gray, changing but sHghtly in spirits. 



The synonomy of this and the allied forms is much ensnarled, and a 

 careful stiidy of a full series of specimens is desirable. 



