66 ZOOLOGISCHE MEDEDEELINGEN — DEEL VI. 



jusqu'à l'endroit où elle se termine", which corresponds with the state- 

 ment of Jordan & Starks: "The lateral line is armed posteriorly 

 with sharp bony plates'', but Jordan & Evermann 1 ) themselves 

 used later on this character in quite an opposite meaniDg in the key 

 to discriminate the species of Fistularia. They write: 



a. the long plates of posterior portion of lateral line unarmed petimba. 



aa. long plates of lateral line each armed with a compressed spine 

 directed backwards serra to. 



Under F. petimba Lac. they understand now F. depressa Gthr., 

 meanwhile Jungersen 2 ) had shown that this character is of no 

 specific value. 



We have therefore to look at other indications in the diagnosis of 

 Lacépède. 



It says: „La peau est unie, et n'est pas garnie d'écaillés facilement 

 visibles". This points to F. depressa Giinther, for it is known, and 

 Jungersen has demonstrated it over again, that this species is naked 

 even in the youngest stage, while Jordan & Starks 3 ) correctly re- 

 marked for F. petimba Lac. „the species may be at once distinguished 

 by the touch, the skin feeling harsh like very fine shagreen". 



Finally the following is of importance in this direction. 



It was under the influence of a remark of Steindac liner, that 



Giinther 4 ) — as he avows himself expressely — divided serrata of 



his „Catalogue" into F. depressa Gthr. and a second species for which 



e, again in accordance with Steindac liner, maintained the name 



F. serrata. 



At first therefore also Steindachner used accordingly these spe- 

 cific names, but in his communication 5 ) about fishes from Samoa he 

 changes his opinion. He mentions sub W. 157 a species: 



„Fist. petimba Lacép. sec. Jenkins, Jord. etEverm. (=F. depressa Gthr.)". 



His latest opinion is therefore also, that F. depressa Gthr. is iden- 

 tical with F. petimba Lac. 



Now rises the other question: may the name serrata be maintained. 



Without regard to the changes which underwent its appreciation, its 

 content was doubtful from the beginning. 



Cuvier ) based it on the drawing of the head of a Fistularia, 



1) Jordan & Evermann, 1. c. p. 116. 2) 1. c. p. 282. 



3) 1. c. p. 68. 



4) Giinther, Challenger Report, Shore-Fishes, VI. 1880, p. 68. 



5) Steindachner, Sitzher. Akad. Wien, 1906, p. 1419. 



6) Cuvier, Règne animal II, 1817, p. 349, note. 



