26 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



GENUS GRYSTES. Cuvier. 

 Opercle spinous. Preopercle entire. A single dorsal. All the teeth uniform, velvet-like. 



THE GROWLER. 



Grystes salmoides. 



PLATE LXIX. FIG. 22S. 



White Salmon- Smith, Hist. Virginia. 



Labre salnunde. Lacep. Vol. 4, p. 716, pi. 5, fig. 2. 



Cichla variabilis. Lesueur, Acad. Sc. as cited Ijy Cuvier. 



Grystes salmoides, Le growler salmoide. Cov. et Val. Vol. 3, p. 54, pi. 45. 



Characteristics. Deep greenish brown, with a bluish spot on the point of the opercle. Young, 

 with numerous longitudinal lines. Length 6-24 inches. 



Description. Greatest depth, to its length, as one to four nearly ; its thickness not quite 

 half of its depth. Profile not very declivous. Lower jaw longest, with four or five pores 

 under each of its branches. Minute teeth in broad bands. Opercle terminates in two mode- 

 rate points, of which the uppermost is short. Branchial rays six, and occasionally seven ; a 

 notable variation, but which is positively established. Humeral bone smooth. Scales ciliate, 

 moderate ; ninety in a longitudinal series, and thirtv-six to forty in a vertical line. Scales 

 only on the opercular bones and cheeks ; small ones on the soft portions of the dorsal, anal 

 and caudal fins. Lateral line concurrent with the back. Dorsal fin commences about the 

 middle of the pectorals ; the fourth ray highest. Pectoral and ventral fins small. Caudal fin 

 slightly crescent-shaped. 



Color, in the adult, deep greenish-brown, with a bluish-black spot on the point of the 

 opercle. Young, with from twenty-five to thirty brownish longitudinal bands, which appear 

 to become effaced with age. 



Length, 6"0 — 24 '0. 



Fin rays, D. 10.13 or 14; P. 16; V. 1.5; A. 3.11 or 12; C. 17. 



The above description, from Cuvier, would seem to imply the existence of two species. 

 He received them from New- York, from Carolina, and from the Wabash (Indiana). Those 

 from New- York varied from six to nine inches, and had six branchial and fourteen soft dorsal 

 rays. The Wabash specimens varied from five to sixteen inches in length. In Carolina, it 

 attains a length of two feet, is considered as excellent food, and passes under the name of 

 Trout. I have seen neither the species nor the description of C. variabilis, cited by Cuvier. 



