FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 95 



bers with small hand nets. I am not aware that it is often 

 made use of ; but I have seen a flock of the domestic duck 

 swallowing it with the greatest avidity, when thrown to them 

 in quantities, in the same manner as grain. 



The specimen before me is three inches in length. Back 

 dark brown ; sides lighter ; beneath, white. Back depressed ; 

 sides in some specimens of a beautiful metallic tint, giving the 

 appearance of an indistinctly defined yellow band. Length of 

 the head, three quarters of an inch ; flattened above ; gape of the 

 mouth moderate ; teeth in the jaws small and sharp ; the lower 

 jaw curves upwards. Eyes of moderate size : irides yellow- 

 ish ; the circle immediately surrounding the pupil, a bright 

 yellow. Preopercuhim of a silvery white color; operculum, 

 a bright metallic yellow. 



The Dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins, color of the back ; ven- 

 tral and anal fins, lighter. 



The Dorsal fin commences half way between the head and 

 the tail : rather longer than high. 



The length of the Pectorals is two lines ; height, six lines. 



The Ventrals are very small. 



The Anal fin is situated under the middle of the dorsal fin. 



The Caudal fin rounded. 



The fin rays as follows : D. 12 ; P. 15 ; V. 6; A. 10 ; C. 18. 



In the smaller specimens, a bright yellow spot is seen at the 

 origin of the dorsal fin, while they are swimming ; after death, 

 this mark is not observed. 



H. flavula. Mitchell. The Basse Fry. 



Trans. Lit. et Thilosopb. Soc. N. Y. p. 439. 

 Boston Journal of Natural History, vol. i. p. 418- 



Meeting two years since with a fish belonging to the genus 

 "Hydrargira," not described by Le Sueur in his paper upon 

 that genus, under the name of " trifasciata," I published a de- 

 scription of it in the " Boston Journal of Natural History." 

 I have before me at the present moment, (June 13th, 1838,) a 



