270 CONTRIIH'TIOXS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



tin- height of the dorsal less than the length of the maxillary; height of 

 anal less than hall' the length of the maxillary. Pectorals not reaching 

 to ventrals. Dorsal inserted slightly behind ventrals, about midway 

 between snout and base of caudal. Scales moderate, strongly serrated, 

 arranged very irregularly. Operculum strongly striated or almost smooth 

 (var. tutrcii). dill-rakers much longer than eye. Bluish above: sides 

 silvery, with a strong brassy lustre; lins usually yellowish; a conspicuous 

 dark seajmlar blotch, behind whieh are often smaller spots. I lead .">_',; 

 depth 3. D. 10; A. 20; Lat. 1. GO-SO; ventral plates 20 + 12. L. 12-1* 

 inches. New England to Brazil; very abundant southward, spawning in 

 the sea. Held in no esteem as a food-h'sh, but very valuable for oil and 

 ma n me; the young canned as sardines. 



(CliKii tiiniiniiiti Latrobe, Trans. Ami-:-. I'hil. Soc. Phila. v, 77, ISOvJ : l'ln]>m m< nliadin 

 Mitcliill, Trans. Lit. &, Phil. Soc. N. Y. i, 453, 1814: Clupea menhaden IJiintlii-r, vii. !:'.;',: 

 ( hipanodon aureus Agassiz, Spix. Pise. Bras. 5'2 (Brazilian var. anna Coodc): r/ ; /, ,< 

 anna GiinthiT, vii, -137 : Al*a inriiliadai Stoivr, Hist. Fish. Mass. 337; Goodr. I'rnc. I'. S. 

 Nat. Mas. i, ;>, 31, 1878; Goode, Kept. U. S. FishComm. for 1877, complete liio^raphy.) 



FAMILY XXXVIIL DOROSOMATIDzE. 

 (The Gizxtrd Shads.) 



Body short and deep, strongly compressed, covered with thin, decid- 

 uous, cycloid scales. Belly compressed to an edge, which is armed with 

 bony serratures. Head naked, short, rather small. Mouth small, in- 

 ferior, oblique, overlapped by the blunt snout; no teeth. Maxillary 

 narrow and short, with a single supplem ntal bone, not extending to 

 opposiie the middle of the eye, and forming but a small portion of the 

 lateral margin of the upper jaw. Mandible short and deep, its rami 

 enlarged at base. Premaxillary not protractile. Gill-rakers slender, 

 exceedingly numerous, not very long, similar on all the arches, dill- 

 membranes not united, free from the isthmus. Pseudobranchia- large. 

 An adipose eyelid. No lateral line. Dorsal I'm about midway of tin- 

 body, usually behind ventrals. Pectorals and ventrals moderate, each 

 wilh an accosory scale. Anal very long and low. Caudal forked. No 

 adipose lin. Stomach short, muscular, like the gix/ard of a fowl, deiiera 

 2, species about 12. .Mud-eating lishes of the coasts and rivers of warm 

 regions, of little value as food. 



(Clii)n ulii ^rniip ('Imtiii'xxiiui ( iiiutlic-r, vii, 40(5-411.) 

 * Lust ray <)' ilm-.-al iimdiK-ed iu a long lilaincnt DonosoMA, 120. 



