242 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



and a more advanced dorsal fin. These will all have to be reconciled or ex - 

 plained away, before Lesueur's name can be adopted for the common cusk. 



By Dr. Storer, the Lesueurian name was first unequivocally appropriated 

 for the common Brosmius, and this was done without any notice of the dis- 

 crepancies between the characters mentioned by Lesueur and those exhibited 

 by his specimens. Yet the latter were described, and one figured by Storer, 

 with " a single barbel, " " the upper jaw slightly longer than the lower," and 

 the dorsal commencing "cna line above the anterior half of the poctorals." 

 Until it is demonstrated, or rendered nearly certain, that no species exhibit- 

 ing the characters in a normal condition mentioned by Lesueur exists on 

 our coast, it is not allowable to so apply his name, and, consequently, a new 

 one is required for the Brosmius flavescens of Storer. 



Brosmius brosme White. 



Gadus brosme Fab., quasi Mull. 

 Brosmius vulgaris Reivh., quasi Cuv. 

 Brosmius brosme pt. Gill, Cat. 



Hab. Greenland. 



I only know this species as a Greenland fish through the works of Fabricius 

 and Reinhardt. 



Brosmius americanus Gill. 



Brosmius vulgaris Storer, Rep., 136. 

 Brosmius vulgaris ? Delay, p. 289, (not fig.) 

 Brosmius flavescens. Storer, Syn., 221. 

 Brosmius brosme pt. Gill, Cat., 49. 



Hab. New England coast northwards to Newfoundland. 



Brosmius flavescens Les. 

 Le Brosme jaune Les., Mem. Mus., v. p. 158, pi. 16, (mid. fig.) 1819. 

 Brosmius flavesny " " " " " " 



Brosmius flavescens Gunther, iv. 369. 



Hab . Massachusetts and banks of Newfoundland. 



Deecriptions of the Genera of GADOID and BROTULOID FISHES of Western 



North America. 



BY THEODORE GILL. 



The object of the present article is more especially to give the characters of 

 the genus Gadus as recently restricted, to develope the characteristics and 

 unravel the synonymy of the genus Merlucius, concerning which, and par- 

 ticularly the Californian representatives, considerable confusion exists, and to 

 elucidate the genus Brosmophycis. 



I am disposed to believe that Gunther is correct in separating from the 

 family of Gadoids the group of genera which he has called Brotulina, but it 

 is more than questionable whether he is right in referring to, and combining 

 in, the same family his groups Ophiidina, Fierasferina, Ammodytina and Con- 

 grogadina. It is quite true that Dr. Gunther has been unable to find any one 

 character to separate his families Gadidse and Ophidiidse, and that he has 

 entirely based them on the different combinations of characters, but it is at 

 the same time probable that they will be eventually found to be distinguish- 

 able by true family characters, based on anatomical differences, such as the 

 form of the cranium, maxillary bones, intestinal canal, &c. The distinctive 

 characters which Gunther has employed for his families are the following : 



Gadid^ with " ventral fins composed of several rays, or, if they are re- 

 duced to a filament, the dorsal is divided into two. Either the caudal free 



[Sept. 



