FAMILY SCIENID.E. 83 



GENUS MICROPOGON. 



The prominent snout and general form of Umbrina, with a few scarcely apparent cirri or 

 barbules under the lower jaw. Preopercle dentated, ivith two spines at the angle. Opercle 

 luith two flat points. Five pores under the chin. Dorsal fin deeply divided. 



THE BANDED CORVINO. 



MlCROPOGON COSTATUS. 



PLATE LXX1I. FIG. 230. 



Bodianus coslatus, Middle Grunts? MiTCHILL, Lit. and Phil. Soc. Vol. 1, p. 417. 

 La Micropogon raye. Cuv. et Val. Hist, des Poiss. Vol. 5, p. 215, pi. 119. 

 Umbnyiafournicri. Desmarest, Diet. Classique d'Hist. Naturelle. 



Characteristics. Silvery, with about twenty narrow greyish bands over the back and along 

 the sides, directed obliquely forwards. Length ten to fifteen inches. 



Description. Body elongated. First dorsal triangular, with feebly spinous rays ; the second 

 long, with subequal rays. Anal long as in Pogonias ; the second spinous ray half the length 

 of the succeeding. Caudal slightly rounded. Branchial rays seven. 



Color. Silvery, with a lustrous black spot on the opercle. Occasionally two or three 

 longitudinal bands on the dorsals, formed by series of brownish spots. More than twenty 

 bands on the back, descending obliquely forwards on the sides. 



Length, lO'O-15-O. 



Fin rays, D. 10.1.28 or 29 ; P. 17; V. 1.5; A. 2.S; C. 17. 



I have very little doubt but that this species was intended to be described by Dr. Mitchill 

 in his valuable paper on the Fishes of New-York, under the name cited above. This is ap- 

 parent by the following extracts from his description : " Middle plate of the tripartite gill- 

 " cover both serrated and aculeated. Head scaly. Neither of the two dorsal fins properly 

 " spinous. Five holes under the chin, among half a dozen very delicate cirri. Has the 

 " ragged cirrhous appendage to the upper lip which the king-fish possesses, and also the two 

 " orifices near them. Has indeed very much the habit of the king-fish. Two first anal rays 

 " spinous, one short, the other long. Color pale brown on the back, with silvery sides and 

 " white belly variegated with hues of yellowish blue and green ; a dozen or more narrow 

 " faint clouds slant down the sides, looking almost like ribs ; a greenish spot in the middle of 

 " the posterior gill plate ; a dark spot at the origin of the pectoral fin. D. 10 - 29 ; P. 17; 

 " V. 6; A. 10; C. 17." 



I have never seen this species, which is doubtless rare on the coast ; nor do I find it among 

 the figures of Carolina fishes communicated to me by my friend Dr. Holbrook. It occurs 

 from the River La Plata to New-York, from which latter place specimens were sent to Cuvier 

 by Milbert. Its flesh is coarse, and little esteemed. 



