PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 373 



Genus PRIOXOTUS Lacepede. 



28. Prionotus punctatus (Bloch) Cuv. — Slim Flying Toad. 

 Two specimens taken. 



29. Prionotus tribulus C. & V.— Common Flying Toad. 



Very abundant in Beaufort Harbor. This is doubtless the species 

 mentioned as Prionotus carol inus by Dr. Yarrow. Dr. Gill omits this 

 strongly marked species from his Catalogue, apparently confounding it 

 with P. carolinus (palmipes Storer), which it resembles in color, although 

 its real relations are entirely with P. evolans. We have seen no specimens 

 of "P. carolinus" from the coast of Carolina, and we do not see how, from 

 the Linnsean description, P. ca rol i n us coidd be distinguished from P. tri- 

 bulus. It becomes, therefore, perhaps an open question whether Lin- 

 liseus's Trigla Carolina was P. tribulus, or "P. carolinus? or both. Lin- 

 noeus's Trigla evolans is apparently equally uncertain, so that the present 

 nomenclature of the species must be accepted as provisional only. 



30. Prionotus evolans (L.) Gill. — Striped Flying Toad, 

 Abundant in the harbor with the preceding species. 



The following is an analysis of the characters of the species of Priono- 

 tus found in the United States. P.pilatus Storer is not included, it being 

 probably identical with P. carol inus. 



* Mouth small: the mandible not reaching the vertical from the front of the orbit : a 

 distinct transverse groove connecting the upper posterior angles of the orbit : 

 preopercular spine simple, without basal cusp : head short, the spines on its 

 upper part comparatively weak : blotches on spinous dorsal well defined, 

 ocellated. (Subgenus Prionotus.) 

 tBody very slender: sides with numerous roundish brown or bronze spots. 

 P. punctatus (Bloch) C. & V. 



Coloration dark olive above : back and sides covered with numerous round 

 spots of different sizes, and not arranged in series : these spots bronze color in 

 life, becoming brownish after death : spinous dorsal dusky, with lighter streaks : 

 a distinct black spot on upper half of spinous dorsal, bet ween the fourth and 

 fifth spine, this spot being ocellated below and behind : a second black blotch 

 on upper half of first spine and membrane, also ocellated behind : second 

 dorsal and caudal spotted and finely blotched with black: anal largely black, 

 with a pinkish border : pectorals blackish : ventrals pale : branchiostegals 

 pinkish : first dorsal rather high : head 3£ times in length to base of caudal : 

 maxillary one-third length of head. D. X — 13, A. 11., lat. 1. about 75. 

 1 1 Body rather robust : sides with conspicuous round spots. 

 P. carolinus (L.) C. & V. 



Coloration brownish above, clouded with darker : throat and branchiostegal 

 membrane dark : a distinct black blotch on upper half of spinous dorsal, this 

 ocellated below: second dorsal with oblique whitish streaks: preopercular 

 spine strong: pectoral appendages strong, always (?) dilated at their tips: 

 maxillary bone one-third the length of head : head 3 in body. D. X — 13, A. 12, 

 lat. 1. ca. 55. 



