EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS 41 hind this are some scarcely distinguishable bars on top of the tail. Very fine white points are scattered over the body and head. (2) The belly and under parts of the head are light gray, almost white, while the upper parts grow gradually darker to almost black. There is no yellow anywhere. The head and body are nearly everywhere covered with dark spots as large as the pupil and smaller, with numerous fine white points in between, some of which are arranged as irregular light lines. The body color is very much the same as the cross bars on the yellow specimens. A few light lines radiate from the eye. No cross bars are present. Another specimen of this type of coloration has the white dots run together into large, numerous solid lines, giving a much lighter general effect. Famity ATHERINID-.
125. Menidia brasiliensis (Quoy and Gaimard).
Many specimens were seined in the harbor at Natal and collected by the fishermen in Lake Papary. These specimens have 3 or 4 dorsal spines, not 4 or 5 as described by Doctor Giinther (Cat. III, p. 404). Famity MUGILIDA.
126. Mugil brasiliensis Agassiz.
This species was very abundant at Lake Papary and Lake Extremoz. In the former lake specimens were taken nearly three feet in length. 127. Mugil curema Cuvier and Valenciennes.
Specimens were taken at Para, Natal and Lake Extremoz. 128. Mugil trichodon Poey.
This was the commonest mullet in the harbor and rock pools at’ Natal, where several specimens were taken.
FamMILty SPHYRAENIDA.
129. Sphyrena barracuda (Walbaum).
A few small specimens taken at Natal.
FamMILyY HOLOCENTRID£.
130. Holocentrus ascensionis (Osbeck).
A few specimens of this brilliant fish were taken in the tide-pools at Natal. In life it is very resplendent with metallic golden-red and coppery
42 FISHES FROM BRAZIL color having brassy reflections. The under parts are clear white, and the side is crossed with longitudinal light pearly stripes. A white stripe runs back from the maxillary to below the base of the preopercular spine, involving the upper half of the maxillary. The vertical limb of the preopercle is edged with white. The dorsal spines are light yellow, and the membrane between them is pink. The other fins are pinkish, and the iris is dark red.
FAMILY SCOMBRID.
131. Scomberomorus cavallo (Cuvier and Valenciennes).
This species is common in the market at Para, where several specimens about a foot in length were obtained.
These specimens do not have fewer dorsal spines than S. maculatus, as alleged by Week and Newland (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. p. 233, 1884), nor is the spinous dorsal without a black blotch anteriorly, as stated by Jordan and Evermann (Fishes of N. and Mid. Am., p. 875). Compared with S. maculatus the teeth are much more compressed and wider at the base in the mandible and not so numerous, there being only 8 or 10 on each side. The species may be most readily recognized by the very short, scarcely developed, gill-rakers which are less than half the pupil in length. 132. Scomberomorus maculatus (Mitchill).
A single large specimen was taken in Natal.
FamMity TRICHIURIDA.
133. Trichiurus lepturus Linneus.
Only a single specimen, a couple of feet in length, was taken at Para. but it is an extremely common species, especially at Ceara. Great quantities of them are dried and they may be seen in the stores at Ceara and Natal in big bales corded together like so much firewood.
The bones are subject to hyperostosis, or a deposition of bone cells on the surface of the normal bones until they are several times their ordinary size. It appears in the form of tubercles, or abrupt enlargements of irregular size scattered over the interspinous bones at irregular intervals, and not confined to certain bones as appears to be the case among the species of the family Carangide.
The specimen at hand resembles Evoxymetopon teniatus Poey in color but in no other respect. There are conspicuous orange-colored longitudinal
EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS 43 lines on the body; one at the base of the dorsal; two narrow pale ones above the middle of the side; one wide, dark and well-marked one parallel to the lateral line; the fifth one following the lateral line; and two narrow ones on the lower part of the side.
Famity CARANGID-.
134. Oligoplites saurus (Bloch and Schneider).
A few small specimens were seined at Natal.
135. Oligoplites saliens (Bloch).
Several specimens of this species were taken at Para. The following key to the species of Oligoplites is founded upon specimens in Stanford University. All of the species are represented by an abundant number of specimens except Oligoplites altus and Oligoplites refulgens, of which only a single well-preserved specimen of each is available. Key to the Species of Oligoplites.
a Top of head everywhere densely covered with pores opening into short canals ramifying beneath the skin.
b Depth from 234 to 3 in length; body angulated at front of soft dorsal and anal; outer mandibular teeth conical and no more crowded or movable than other teeth; the band of mandibular teeth not so wide; maxillary reaching considerably past the eye. mundus.
bb Depth 3% in length; body scarcely angulated; outer mandibular teeth crowded, slender and movable, projecting above other teeth and laterally flattened; the band wider; maxillary reaching but slightly past eye. altus.
aa Top of head without pores or only a few at the side running forward from above opercle, but never any medially on top of head between eyes or on snout.
ce Maxillary reaching to middle of eye; depth equal to length of head ; side abruptly silvery below a double dark stripe on back. refulgens.
cc Maxillary reaching to posterior border of eye or beyond; depth greater than length of head, the dark color of back more gradually merging into the silvery color of side.
+4 FISHES FROM BRAZIL d <A well-developed membrane connecting anterior part of branchiostegal membranes; posterior half of maxillary gently and evenly curved downward; maxillary reaching past eye in specimens over 7 inches long; depth 3% to 3%. saliens.
dd No membrane between branchiostegal membranes*; maxillary straight to its posterior fourth, then rather abruptly curved downward; maxillary not reaching past eye; depth 3% to 334. saurus.
136. Caranx hippos (Linnzus).
Several specimens were taken at Para.
137. Caranx crysos (Mitchill).
A single specimen was collected at Natal.
138. Hemicaranx amblyrhynchus (Cuvier and Valenciennes). A single specimen, 8 inches in length, was taken at Para. There can be little doubt but that this is referable to the above species, but there are several discrepancies between it and the description published by Jordan and Evermann (Fishes of N. and Mid. Am., p. 912). The head is 34 in length. Fifty scutes may be counted if the extremely small ones are included at each end of the straight part of the lateral line. The maxillary reaches a little past the front of the pupil (not “the front of the orbit’) ; the caudal lobes are equal. The arch of the lateral line is contained 24 times in the straight portion (not 3 times). The pectoral is considerably longer than the head and reaches well past the front of the anal. In all of these respects the specimen at hand resembles the plate by Cuvier and Valenciennes. FamiIty APOGONICHTHYID.
139. Amia brasiliana (Gilbert).
A few specimens taken in the tide pools at Natal, from 1 to 3% inches in length. They agree perfectly with the description of the type. They lack the caudal spot of Amia imberbis, but in the smallest ones there is a dusky, wide, transverse band across the caudal peduncle, though this does not resemble the spot in the middle of the peduncle of 4. dow. They all have the opercular spot, and the small ones have a black spot in line with it behind the eye.
* Occasionally a very slight narrow membrane is present, but nearly always it is entirely absent, and it is never well developed as in O. saliens.
EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS 45 FamMILty CENTROPOMID.
140. Centropomus mexicanus Bocourt.
Specimens of what are apparently referable to this species were taken at Para, Natal, Lake Extremoz and Lake Papary. The lateral line is usually slightly dusky as in the picture published by Vaillant and Bocourt (Miss. Sci. Mex. 1875, Pl. I) except in a large individual (14 inches long) where a dark spot above and below the pore on each scale gives the line a distinctly darker appearance, or in others where it is nearly colorless. Centropomus constantinus Jordan and Starks is synonymous with this species. It was separated chiefly on account of its lateral band being colorless, its dorsal spines more slender and shorter, and its body deeper. In all of these characters it falls within the range of variation of the specimens at hand. The type of C. constantinus has a slightly shorter anal spine than the others, but the difference is not of sufficient value to separate the species. Doctor Boulenger has united C. mexicanus with C. parallelus Poey, but if the latter was correctly described as having 90 series of scales it seems scarcely probable that it can be the same. In the large numbers of specimens of C. mexicanus at hand the variation is only between 68 and 73. 141. Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch).
This species is common in Lake Papary, where several specimens were taken.
FamMILy SERRANID.
142. Cephalopholis fulvus (Linnzus).
Two specimens from Natal represent both the brown type of color with blue spots (Bodianus fulvus punctatus) and the scarlet type with black spots (Bodianus fulvus ruber.)
143. Epinephelus adscensionis (Osbeck).
Three small examples taken at Natal.
144. Promicrops guttata (Linnzus).
One specimen, a foot in length, was taken at Para. As compared with a specimen of similar size from Jamaica the head is a little shorter, and the eye a little larger. ‘The greater length of the head in the Jamaica specimen is all in the postorbital region.
145. Rypticus coriaceus (Cope).
Two small specimens were collected at Natal. Dr. Boulenger has placed this species, perhaps correctly, in the synonymy of ARyPticus sapo-
46 FISHES FROM BRAZIL naceus. Comparing the specimens at hand with some specimens of the latter species from Jamaica considerably larger in size they are somewhat more slender, darker and more uniformly colored. One of them, however, has 3 opercular spines on one side as in the typical R. saponaceus and 2 on the other, while the other specimen has 2 on each side. There is little difference in the connection of the dorsal fins between the two species. ‘The lower of the preopercular spines is the longer. Famity LUTIANID/.
146. Lutianus griseus (Linnezus). A single specimen was taken at Natal. 147. Lutianus jocu (Bloch and Schneider). A specimen from Natal and one from Para. 148. Lutianus apodus (Walbaum).
Several specimens were taken at Natal, all of which are deep reddish brown with wine-color on the lighter parts, and have the dark-ringed spots on the cheek as described by Doctor Gilbert (Wash. Acad. Sci. Vol. 2, 1900, p. 170) for specimens from Maceio, Brazil. 149. Lutianus analis (Cuvier and Valenciennes). A single adult and a few small ones were taken at Natal. 150. Lutianus synagris (Linneus). Several specimens were collected at Natal. Famity HAXAMULID-.
151. Harmulon parra (Dasmarest). A large specimen was collected in the market at Natal, and the young were commonly taken in the tide pools. 152. Hemulon steindachneri (Jordan and Gilbert). Two small specimens were taken in the tide pools at Natal. 153. Hemulon plumeri (Lacépéde). - This is a common species at Natal, where 3 specimens were collected. 154. Anisotremus virginicus (Linnzus). A single small specimen from Natal.
EDWIN CHAPIN STARKS 47 155. Genyatremus luteus (Bloch).
A small specimen, 2 inches long, was taken in a tide pool at Natal. It differs from one 6 inches long from Bahia (Albatross Collection) in having the preopercular teeth much. coarser, or about 12 of them rather than 21 as in the larger one, the caudal truncate, rather than concave, the posterior outlines of the dorsal and anal more nearly vertical, and in having 6 wide, dark cross bars in the side.
FamMILy SPARID.
156. Calamus calamus (Cuvier and Valenciennes).
Several specimens were taken by a steam trawler a few miles off Natal. In life this species is a bright silvery with delicate blue, green and yellow reflections most conspicuous on the snout. A clear blue streak runs from the upper end of the gill opening forward below the eye. (In preserved specimens this shows as a dark blue streak below the eye, but not extending past the eye either before or behind). Below this, running forward on the preopercle, are several pale blue, obscure, wavy lines. Sometimes these are dusky blue and run together more or less, forming a net-work around the gold and silvery color, as described in current descriptions. Many of the scales are bright blue at the center, making faint longitudinal lines. 157. Archosargus unimaculatus (Bloch). ° A single small specimen was taken at Natal.
FaMILY GERRIDA.
158. Eucinostomus pseudogula Poey.
Specimens collected at Natal and Lake Papary. Among the former is one with only two anal spines that differs in no other respect from its fellows. 159. Eucinostomus harengulus Goode and Bean.
A few small specimens taken at Natal.
160. Eucinostomus gula (Cuvier and Valenciennes).
A single small specimen was collected at Lake Papary. 161. Ulema lefroyi (Goode).
This species, though unrecorded from Brazil, is not uncommon at Natal, where several small specimens were taken. The young are marked with irregular, oblique, broken blotches on the back extending forward and downward to the middle of the side.
48 FISHES FROM BRAZIL 162, Xystema havana Nichols, Six specimens, up to 6 inches in length, collected at Natal and described in my manuscript as new are referable to this species, the description of which has just appeared. I publish my description as it stands, however, as it contains some additions to Mr. Nichols’ description (Notes on Cuban Fishes. Bull. Am. Mus. XXXI. p. 189, Aug. 1912).
The head is sharp and the body is symmetrical, with no angles and scarcely elevated. The length of the head is contained 3% times in the length to the caudal base, and the depth 3 times. The diameter of the eye is a little greater than the length of the snout and is contained from 24% to 3 times in the head. The premaxillary groove is very well defined and narrow, being only a trifle more than half of the pupil at its widest part; anteriorly it becomes constricted and sometimes nearly closed. ‘The cheek from the eye to the preopercular angle is equal to the diameter of the eye, and the least distance backward from the eye is equal to one-third of the eye. The preopercular and preorbital margins are entire. The fin formula is, dorsal IX, 10; anal III, 7 or 8. The second dorsal spine is equal in length to the distance from the front of the eye to the upper angle of the gill opening. The second anal spine is equal in length to the third but is very much stouter; it is a little longer than the eye. The pectoral does not nearly reach to the anal. There are 45 cross series of scales, and 314 longitudinal series between the lateral line and the middle of the dorsal.
The color is plain silvery except in the young of 2 or 3 inches in length, where dusky lines follow the rows of scales longitudinally. This species has the typical long simple first interhemal that distinguishes Xystema from Lucinostomus, but in external characters it is strikingly like EL. pseudogula. ‘The spines, however, are always stouter and less flexible at the tips, and the premaxillary groove is constricted in front. It differs from Xyste@ma cinereum, its nearest relative, in being more slender, in having a very narrow premaxillary groove, which is convergent anteriorly rather than broad and divergent, in having no cross bars, and in other minor characters.
163. Gerres brasilianus (Cuvier and Valenciennes).
Several specimens were taken in Lake Papary and one at Natal. 164. Gerres rhombeus Cuvier and Valenciennes.
Specimens were collected at Lake Papary and Natal.. Those from Natal are much darker in color and show traces of dark stripes along the