688 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [90] 



114. SCARUS GUACAMAIA. (Plate XL) 

 (Guacamaia; Parrot-fish.) 

 Guacamaia Parra, Descr. Dif. Piezas Hist. Nat., 1787, p. 54, pi. 26 (Cuba). 

 Scarus guacamaia Cuvier, Regne Animal, Ed. ii, 1829,265. (No description; based en 



Parra. Not Scar us guacamaia Cuv. & Val. === Scar us pleianus Poey.) Jordan 



& Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 938; Bean, Bull. U. S. Fish. Com., 1688, 



198 (Cozumel). 

 Pseudoscarus guacamaia Gunther, iv, 233 (Jamaica; Puerto Cabello; Bahia) ; Poey, 



Synopsis, Pise. Cubens., 1868, 348, 463; Poey, Enumeratio, Pise. Cubens., 



1875, 177. 

 Hemisioma guacamaia Jordan &. Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1883, 607 (Key West). 

 Scarus guacamaia Jordan & Swain, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, 84 (Havana; Key 



West); Jordan, 1. c, 137 (Key West) ; Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 



48 (Havana). 

 Scarus turchesius Cuv. & Val., xiv, 181, 1839 (Porto Rico); Guichenot, Scarid6s, 23, 



1865 (note on type) ; Jordan, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 543 (note on 



original type). 

 Pseudoscarus turchesius Poey, Repert., i, 317, 1861; Poey, Syn., 348, 1868; Poey, Enu- 

 meratio, 118, 1875 (Havana); Poey, Fauna Puerto Riquena, 337, 1895(Havaua). 

 Scarus rostratus Poey, Mem., ii, 221, 1867; Poey, Repert., 163, 1867 (Havana). 

 Pseudoscarus rostratus Poey, Syn., 349, 1868; Poey, Enumeratio, 118, 1875 (Havana). 



Habitat. — West Iudies. 



Etymology : Guacamaia, a Spanish word for parrot. 



This species is abundant about rocks at Key West, and is also not 

 uncommon in the Havana market, where it is known still as Guacamaia. 

 Our fish appears to be the Guacamaia of Parra, on which, so far as the 

 printed record shows, the Scarus guacamaia of Cuvier was based. The 

 specimens in Cuvier's possession, afterwards described by Valenciennes 

 under the name of Scarus guacamaia, have canines in the upper jaw, 

 and apparently belong to a distinct and (to us) unknown species, to 

 which Poey has given the name Scarus pleianus. We have seen no 

 specimens a yard iu length, as mentioned by Parra, nor have we seen 

 any with the caudal lobes prolonged to the extent shown in his figures. 



None of our specimens, young or old, show traces of canines. 



We have examined the type of Scarus turchesius in Paris. It seems 

 to be the same as our guacamaia. Poey's Scarus rostratus seems to be 

 based on young examples with rather sharper snout than usual. 



A specimen of Sc. guacamaia from Eio Janeiro is iu the museum at 

 Cambridge. Another was taken by the Albatross at Bahia. 



115. SCARUS PERRICO. 



(Perrico ; Loro.) 

 Scarus perrico Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 357 (Mazatlan). 



Habitat. — Pacific coast of tropical America. 



Etymology : Perrico, a Spanish word for parrot. 



This large species is very common in the rocks about Mazatlan. It 

 is seldom caught, and is not eaten. The type in the U. S. National 

 Museum (No. 28328) is 23 inches in length. 



It is remarkable that this single species and Calotomus xenodon are 

 the only Scaroid fishes yet described from the eastern Pacific. 



