FAMILY ATHERINID.E — ATHERINA. 141 



FAMILY XII. ATHERINIDJ2. 



Mouth protractile ; no notch on the tipper jaw, nor tubercle on the lower. Suborbital not 

 dentated. A broad silvery band on the side. Very small crowded teeth on the ■pharyn- 

 geals. The first branchial arch with long pectinations. Two dorsal fins, most commonly 

 distant. Ventrals behind the pectorals. 



Obs. This family was founded by Cuvier on the genus Atherina of Linneus, and is so 

 closely associated with the Mugilidce, that many ichthyologists still arrange them under that 

 family. By others they are also placed under that family, but form a distinct section or tribe. 

 In common with the Mugilidce, they have two dorsals, but these are not always distant ; their 

 ventrals are usually much farther behind ; nor have they the pharyngeal apparatus, nor the 

 gizzard of that family. They have six branchial rays. The Atherinidae as yet are all in- 

 cluded under one genus, but it is susceptible of several subdivisions. Some years since, I 

 arranged, from the suggestions of Cuvier, under the genus Argyrea, several of our American 

 species with the following characters : Vomer and palatines smooth and perfectly edentate ; 

 maxillaries at their lower ends terminating in a point, etc. It requires, however, a careful 

 examination and rigorous comparison of all the species, such as was not within my reach, to 

 establish a genus which should be beyond the reach of cavil. The species of this family on 

 the North American coast, are uniformly small. On the shores of South America, some 

 species exist nearly two feet long. 



GENUS ATHERINA. Linneus. 



Body elongated, cylindrical, with large scales. The other characters included in those of 

 the family. 



THE DOTTED SILVERSIDE. 



Atherina notata. 



PLATE XXVIII. FIG. 88. 



Atherina menidia. Lacepede, Vol.5, p. 376, (excl. synon.) 



The Small Silverside, A. notata. Mitch. Lit. and Phil. Soc. Vol. 1, p. 446, pi. 4, fig. 6. 



VAtherine de Bosc, A. boscii. Cuv. ct VaL. Hist, des Poiss. Vol. 10, p. 465. 



The Small SilveTside, A. id. Stoker, Massachusetts Report, p. 62. 



Characteristics. Depth one-sixth of its length. Black points at the base of the anal rays. 

 Dorsals contiguous ; the second coterminal with the anal. Length three 

 to four inches. 



Description. Body elongated, cylindrical, subcompressed. Scales large, rounded ; mar- 

 gins smooth, with concentric impressions. Lateral line straight. Head moderate, somewhat 

 flattened above, and one-fifth of the total length. Eyes rather large, 0*2 in diameter. Jaws 



