236 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



quite twice as long as the second anal. The supramaxillary bone ceases at a 

 vertical drawn nearly midways between the front of the eye and pupil. The 

 pores of the head are obsolete. The caudal fin is convex behind. 



Hab. New York to Newfoundland. 



The preceding diagnosis at once distinguishes the "torn-cod" or ''frost 

 fish " of the Americans from the common cod, and, although the distinctive 

 characters may not have been very well indicated in the diagnoses or descrip- 

 tions of American naturalists, there has been no confusion between them and 

 there has never been difficulty in practically distinguishing them. Eu- 

 ropean naturalists have been less fortunate : Dr. Kaup placing the name of the 

 tom-cod among the synonyms of Gadus morrhua and also including under 

 the latter the Morrhua americana, while Dr. GUnther, although well distin- 

 guishing the Gadus tomcodus, has been unhappy in the distribution of the 

 synonymy. The Gadus callarias of Mitchill is the same as his Gadus mor- 

 rhua and both are identical with Morrhua americana of Storer and Dekay ; the 

 former and latter names must therefore be withdrawn from the synonymy of 

 G. tomcodus, to which they have been referred by Gunther, and with the G. 

 callarias must be placed at least provisionally as the synonyms of a close 

 analogue of the European cod. The figure of Dekay might have informed 

 naturalists that the M. americana was not the same as the "tom-cod." A 

 good figure of the American cod is also given by Dr. Storer in his " History of 

 the Fishes of Massachusetts " in the "Memoirs of the American Academy," 

 (2d ser.) vol. vi. (p. 343) pi. xxvii. fig. 4. 



Genus BRACHYGADUS Gill. 



Brachygadus Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Pa., 1S62. 

 Type. Gadus minutus L. 



BRACEnfGADlXS MINUTUS Gill. 



Gadus minutus Linn. 



? Morrhua minuta Storer, Reports on the Ichthyology and Herpetology of 



Mass., p. 127, 1839. 

 " Morrhua minuta Del-ay, Zoology of New York, Fishes, p. 277 (fig. 141 altered 

 from 'Yarrell), 1842. 



This species, or even an allied one, has not yet been permanently established 

 as even a visitant of the North American waters. Dr. Storer, in his Report, 

 mentions a single specimen " which was taken in Boston harbor ; it has been 

 preserved several years in spirits in the Boston Society of Natural History," 

 and ' its colors have undoubtedly somewhat changed." The specimen was 

 " eight inches in length ; length of the head two inches ; depth of the body 

 across the base of the pectorals rather less than the length of the head ;' ' 

 " snout obtuse ;" "a cirrhus one- fourth of an inch long is suspended from 

 the chin ;" eye half an inch in diameter, being equal to one-fourth the length 

 of the head; "the pectorals are an inch long." D. 121917. P. 17. V. 6. 

 A. 2217. C. 20. 



Such is the only notice of the existence of the Brachygadus minutus on our 

 coast. The description is scarcely reconcilable with the European species ; 

 and almost the only character which would indicate that it might not be the 

 young of Gadus anericanus is the "snout obtuse," but when the " Morrhua 

 tomcodus " is said to have the " snout blunt," it may be asked, what is meant 

 by that term ? and if there is any difference between the two ? 



Dekay also inserted the "Morrhua minuta" among the fishes of New York, 

 compiling his description from Yarrell and Storer, giving the radial formula of 

 the latter and copying, with alterations, the figure of Yarrell. He finally 

 stated : 



"This is a rare species on our coast. I only know it through the descrip- 

 tion of Dr. Storer, although I think I saw it some years since in the market. 



[Sept. 



