100 FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



The fin rays are : D. 15 ; P. 12 ; V. 6 ; A. 19 ; C. 20. 



I have no doubt of this being Le Sueur's " truncata :" he 

 describes his specimen as being a " deep blue on the back;" it 

 might have been a more recent specimen than mine ; or the 

 color of the fish before me may have been impaired by the 

 salt in which it was sent me. In all important characters it 

 answers perfectly to the species under which I arrange it. 



Scomberesox. Lacepede. 



Generic characters. The species of this genus have the 

 same structure of the jaws as those of Belone ; and are simi- 

 lar also in the form of body and scales, with a keel-like edge 

 to the belly ; but the posterior portions of the dorsal and anal 

 fins are divided, forming finlets, as in the mackerel. 



S. equirostrum. Le Sueur. The Bill Fish. 

 Journal Academy Nat. Sciences, vol. ii. p. 132. 



Le Sueur described this species from a dried specimen in the 

 cabinet of the Linnean Society, which formerly existed in 

 Boston ; his description shows his specimen to have been an 

 imperfect one. I have seen no specimen in which the jaws 

 were of equal length ; the lower jaw was undoubtedly broken 

 in the specimen seen by Le Sueur, as is very apt to be the 

 case in dried specimens of this genus, else he could not have 

 called it " equirostrum ;" still, as some naturalists think a spe- 

 cific name need not point out any particular character, and as 

 I have no desire to detract from the labors of another, I shall 

 point out here the characters as they exist in the recent speci- 

 men, and leave Le Sueur's name to be changed, should it ever 

 be thought advisable, by some succeeding ichthyologist. 



This fish makes its appearance at Cape Cod, usually, in the 

 month of October, sometimes earlier and sometimes later, how- 

 ever, depending upon the season. It is taken in immense 

 numbers by the inhabitants of some of the towns upon the 

 Cape, and considered by them very nutritious and grateful food. 



