the Fishes of Massachusetts. 181 



the specific name of Cumherlandi. It appears that Dr. 

 Mitchill pubUshed a " Supplement to his Fishes of New 

 York," in ^' The American Monthly Magazine and Critical 

 Review" for 1818. Of the existence of this paper I never 

 heard, until long after my Report had been published. In 

 that supplement he described this fish, and very well too, un- 

 der the name of " Coryphoana perciformis — Rudder fish, or 

 Perch Coryphene." This species, however, is not a Cory- 

 phoena ; and Dr. Dekay while he retains the specific name 

 of Dr. Mitchill, has formed a new genus to receive it, which 

 he calls Palinurus, from the circumstance of the fish being 

 sometimes called the Pilot fish. 



In my account of the Peprilus triacanthus, I omitted 

 to mention that it is generally known among our fishermen as 

 the Sheep^s head — which is the cause of no little confusion, 

 it being confounded with the Sargus ovis, so extensively 

 known south of Cape Cod, by the same common name. 



Trichiurus lepturus. Lin. Silvery hair-tail. 



Trichiurus lepturus. Lin. Bloch, pt. V. pi. 158. 



" '< Strack's plates, pi. XX. fig. I. 



** " Griffith's Cuv. X. 347. 



« " Cuv. et Valenc. Hist. Nat. des Poise. VIII. 237. 



*» •« Yarrell's British Fishes. I. 182 et fig. 



Trichiurus argentcus. Shaw's Gen. Zool. IV. 90 et fig. 



« " Mitchill, Trans. Lit. et Phil. Soc. N. Y. I. 364. 



I am indebted to Dr. J. B. Forsyth, of Sandwich, for the 

 only specimen of this species I have known to be taken upon 

 our coast. It was cast upon the beach at Buttermilk Bay. in 

 the north-eastern corner of l^uzzard's Bay, during the last 

 summer, and was found while yet in a state of good preserva- 

 tion. A portion of the posterior extremity is now lost, but it 

 still measures two feet and ten inches in length. As its form 

 has lost its proportions in being dried — and its colors are effa- 

 ced — as its dorsal fin is mutilated, and its tail is broken, 

 while I present you with the specimen itself, I would ex- 

 tract the following description of Mitchill, as being sufficient- 

 ly clear, and much more accurate than, with such means as I 

 have, I could hope to make it. 



