FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 173 



but their inner coat was lined with a large quantity of very- 

 viscid mucus, in which was observed a large number of taenia. 

 The muscular coat of the intestines, exceedingly thick ; intes- 

 tines 14 feet in length. The liver, was of a bright yellow color, 

 weighing about 8 or 10 pounds, and exceedingly oily. Num- 

 bers of " Cysticerci" were imbedded in its substance. The 

 edges of the branchiae, and also their membrane, as well as the 

 inner membrane of the operculum, were roughened like the 

 cuticle. 



A second specimen having been taken and carried into Na- 

 hant, during the last season, my friend Dr. Wyman visited it at 

 my request, and besides furnishing the following notes, has 

 very kindly enriched my account of this species, by the ac- 

 companying drawing : 



"Length, 54 inches; diameter of the operculum, 3 inches; 

 of the eye, 2 inches ; greatest breadth of the fish, 30 inches; 

 pectoral fins, 8 inches high, 6 long, composed of 10 rays ; anal 

 fin, 18 inches high, 10 long, composed of 18 rays ; 9 scallops 

 to the tail, 6 inches in their broadest part." 



I am aware that the ichthyologist will think that the above 

 description does not much coincide with Yarrell's account of 

 the "mola." Still less does my figure agree with his ; it will 

 be remembered, however, that his plate was taken from a 

 " preserved specimen," only fourteen inches long ; and that his 

 description is drawn up from the same specimen. From Pen- 

 nant's description, I should judge he had never seen the fish. 

 The description in Turton's Linnaeus agrees pretty well with 

 my specimen in all its important points. It will also be observed 

 that Yarrell remarks, that " there is reason to believe this fish 

 alters in appearance as it increases in age. In a much larger 

 example, the skin was of an uniform dirty pale brown ; the 

 texture hard, rough, coarse and thick." 



