This beautiful grouper rivals the rock hind in its gay and varied coloration. There is some uncertainty about the correct specific name of this well-marked species. The last name to be adopted is guttatus, meaning "spotted," conferred by Linnæus in 1758, based on the early and vague descriptions of Marcgrave and others on specimens from Brazil and the West Indies. It belongs to the West Indian fauna, its range extending from the Florida Keys to South America; it occasionally strays north in the summer to the Carolina coast.

It resembles the other groupers in its general form, but is more slender, has a larger eye, and its lower jaw does not project so much. The depth of its body is a little more than a third of its length. Its head is long and pointed, considerably longer than the depth of its body, with a mouth of moderate size, and a weak lower jaw, which projects but slightly; the eye is very large; the teeth are in bands, with two curved canines in each.

The pattern of the coloration and the markings are similar to those of the rock hind, but differ in color. The upper part of the body is grayish or yellowish olive, the belly reddish; the entire head and body are profusely covered with scarlet spots of nearly uniform size, except those on the breast and belly, which are a little larger; there are a few spots, both red and whitish, on the bases of the fins; there are three broad, oblique, obscure bands running upward and backward on the sides, extending on to the dorsal fin; the upper fins are edged with black; the pectoral fin is reddish yellow.

The red hind, like the rock hind, frequents rocky places and feeds mostly on small fishes. It grows to a length of about eighteen inches, and is an excellent food-fish. Not much is known concerning its breeding habits, though it probably spawns in the spring. The same tackle recommended for the rock hind, and the same baits, will do as well for the red hind, as they are found together.

THE CONEY

(Petrometopon cruentatus)

This beautiful fish is allied to the groupers, and belongs to the family Serranidæ, previously described. It was described and named by Lacépéde from a drawing by Plumier, made from a specimen from Martinique. Lacépéde recorded it in his "Natural History of Fishes," 1803, conferring on it the name cruentatus, meaning "dyed with blood," in allusion to its red spots. It belongs to the West Indian fauna, with a range extending from the Florida Keys to Brazil; it is quite common about Key West, being seen in the markets every day.

The body has the somewhat elliptical outline of the other groupers, but is more oblong and deeper, its depth being more than a third of its length. The head is moderate in size, rather pointed, its length less than the depth of the body; the mouth is large, with the lower jaw projecting but slightly; the teeth are in narrow bands, the inner series long, slender, and depressible; the canines small. Its ground color is reddish gray, a little paler below; the head and body are covered with bright vermilion spots, larger and brighter anteriorly.

[CATCHING SPANISH MACKEREL ON THE EDGE OF THE GULF STREAM]

It frequents rocky situations, like the coney of Holy Writ. It is highly esteemed as a food-fish, but is of smaller size than the groupers previously described, seldom growing beyond a foot in length or a pound in weight. It probably spawns in the spring. It is quite a gamy fish for its size on light tackle.