362 NEW YORK STATE MUSEIUM 



The genus Labidestbes bas a verj^ oblique mouth, with 

 the upper jaw flat above and concave beneath, the inter- 

 maxillaries forming a rooflike beak. The mandible is convex. 



The brook silversides, or skipjack, is found in streams and 

 ponds in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. It has also been dis- 

 covered recently in some of the southern states, from South 

 Carolina to Florida. In New York it is recorded from near 

 Montezurna, from Chautauqua lake, where it is called silver 

 skipjack and glassfish, and from Lake Ontario. Dr Meek says 

 it is not found near Ithaca. The TJ. S. Fish Commission col- 

 lectors obtained it at the following places in New York: 



Stony Island July 2 and 3 



Great Sodus bay Aug. 6 



Long pond, Charlotte Aug. 17 



Sandy creek, North Hamlin Aug. 20 



The fish grows to the length of 4 inches and is important only 

 as food for larger species. It has been kept in the aquarium, 

 but does not endure transportation or captivity. The brook 

 silversides is a surface swimmer, and the name skipjack is 

 derived from its habit of skipping out of and along the surface 

 of the water. It abounds in " clear pools left in summer by 

 the fall of the waters in the streams, which has filled them." 



Family MUGILIDAE 



Mullets 



Genus MTJGIL, (Artedi) Linnaeus 



Body oblong, somewhat compressed, covered with large 

 scales, head large, convex, scaled above and on sides; mouth 

 small, subinferior, the lower jaw angulated; jaws with one or 

 a few series of short, flexible, ciliiform teeth, no teeth on vorner 

 or palatines; eye large, with a large adipose eyelid, which is 

 little developed in the young; stomach muscular, like the 

 gizzard of a fowl. Species very numerous, living on mud and 

 running in great schools along the shores and in brackish lagoons 

 of all warm regions. We here exclude from M u g i 1 the old 

 world group, Liza (type M u g i 1 c a p i t o) similar in habit 



