174 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



New York Aquarium, which were said to have been brought from the 

 Bermudas. The fish belongs to the genus Serranus as defined by Giin- 

 ther, and to the genus JSpinephelus as limited by Gill, having, in distinc- 

 tion from the allied genus Trisotropis, nine rays in the anal as well as 

 other characters. 



There is a remarkable uniformity in the measurements of the two 

 specimens as given in tabular form below. That from Pensacola has 

 longer fins, and the snout also a trifle longer. This is perhaps due to 

 some slight distortion of the specimens, owing to the greater length of 

 time which the first had been in alcohol. 



Epinephelus Drummond-Hayi, sp. nov., Goode & Bean. 



Diagnosis. — Length of head about one-third of total length (includ- 

 ing caudal), and three-eighths of length without caudal. Greatest 

 height of body equal to length of head. Least height of tail equal 

 to half the length of external caudal rays, and approximately to that 

 of snout. Praeoperculum finely and evenly serrated; denticulations 

 somewhat coarser at the angle. Suboperculum and interoperculum 

 denticulated for a short distance on each side of their common junction. 

 Maxillary bone nearly and mandibular quite reaching to a line drawn 

 vertically through the centre of the orbit. 



Eye circular, its diameter contained six and one-third times in the 

 length of the head, and slightly less than the width of the interorbital 

 area, which is half the distance from the snout to the centre of the 

 orbit. 



Distance of dorsal from snout equal to the greatest height of the body, 

 and twice the length of the mesial caudal rays or of ventral fin. The 

 length of the first spine is less than half that of the second, and more 

 than one-third that of the fourth, and longest. The length of the first 

 ray is equal to or greater than that of the longest spine; that of the 

 last ray, to the diameter of the eye. 



The distance of anal from snout equal to twice the height of the 

 body at the ventrals; the length of its first spine about equal to that of 

 the first of the dorsal; the length of the third spine equal to that of the 

 snout. The length of the first ray is about equal to that of the maxil- 

 lary; that of longest ray nearly half the length of head; that of the last 

 ray nearly equal to that of the second anal spine. 



Caudal truncate when expanded ; slightly emarginate when in nat- 

 ural position ; covered with small scales nearly to its tip. 



Length of median rays half that of the head, that of external rays 

 equal to two-thirds the distance from snout to pectoral, and also to the 

 length of that fin. 



The distance of ventral from snout about twice its own length. 



Radial Formula. — D. XI, 16; A. Ill, 9; O. + 14 + ; P. I, 16; V. I, 5. 



Scales in lateral line, 125; above lateral line, 32; below, 56-57. 



Color, light umber-b: own, everywhere densely spotted with irregular, 



