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draw no other conclusion than this. All belong to a single species, which varies ex- 
cessively in its coloration. Blue, yellow, and black are arranged in great variety of 
patterns, in different specimens, and the cause of such variation is still unknown. 
The following localities are represented in the specimens examined by us : 
Puella, Havana ; St. Thomas ; St. Croix. 
Vitulinus, Havana. 
Pinnivarius, Havana. 
Maculiferus, Havana. 
Outtavarius, Havana. 
Chlorurus, Havana. 
Nigricans, Florida Keys ; Havana ; St. Thomas. 
Indigo, Havana. 
The other nominal species we have not seen. 
65. HYPOPLECTRUS CROCOTUS. 
Plectropoma crocota Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc., Phil., XIV, 466, 1871 (St. Martin’s, W. Indies). 
Habitat. — West Indian fauna. 
Etymology. — Crocotus, saffron color ; from crocus, saffron. 
We have not seen this species. The single known specimen is no longer to be found 
in the museum of the Academy at Philadelphia, Pa. 
66. HYPOPLECTRUS GEMMA. 
Hypoplectrus gemma Goode &. Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 428, 1882 (Garden Key, Fla.); Jordan, 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 149, 1884; Jordan, Cat. Fishes N. Am., 83, 1885. 
Habitat . — West Indian fauna; Florida Keys. 
Etymology. — Gemma, a jewel. 
Two specimens of Hypoplectrus have been described, both of which are said to differ 
from the type of Hypoplectrus puella in the smaller scales. These two, described 
under the specific names of crocotus and gemma, differ widely in color, and apparently 
in the form of the caudal fin. 
As we know that the differences in coloration are almost valueless for specific dis- 
tinction in this group, the assumed difference in the form of the caudal alone prevents 
us from regarding crocotus and gemma as color varieties of the same form. We have 
not seen either of these nominal species, both of which are known from a single 
specimen. 
Genus XVI.— PARALABRAX. 
Paralabrax Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat, Sci. Phila., 1856, 131 (nebulifer). 
Atractoperca Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, 165 (clathratus) . 
Gonioperca Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863, 80 {albomaoulatus). 
Type. — Labrax nebulifer Girard. 
Etymology. — Ilapd, near; Labrax, old name of the genus Morone; from the Greek 
kd^paS, sea-bass. 
This genus is very close to Centropristis, with which it agrees very nearly in the 
form of the skull.* The scales are, however, much smaller than in Centropristes, the 
* We have not examined the skulls of Paralabrax albomaculatus or of P. humeralis, though we have 
no doubt of their general agreement in this respect with the other species. 
