258 Ayres^ Enumeration of the 



another at Greenport, and Great Pond, near Riverhead. The 

 largest I have seen were less than a pound in weight. 



POMOTIS VULGARIS. CuV. 



This species, I believe, does not occur within the bounds 

 of Brookhaven ; in all the streams and ponds which I have 

 examined, I have been unable to find it. It has been sent to 

 me, however, from Great Pond, and I have been informed that 

 it is found also at Oyster Bay. The specimens from River- 

 head were of good size, the largest being seven and a quarter 

 inches in length. 



Prionotus strigatus. Cuv. 



This is much less common than the succeeding species and 

 does not arrive so early ; the first one taken, the last season, 

 (1841) was caught the 13th of August. Both this and the 

 following species, are sometimes used as food, but are not es- 

 teemed. 



Prionotus Carolinus. Cuv. 



This species is abundant, and often very troublesome in 

 taking the bait designed for better fish. Their usual food con- 

 sists of shrimps, small crabs, both hard and soft, and not un- 

 frequently the sand-lauuces : but they often bite at the hooks 

 used in fishing for Porgees, for which the bait consists of soft 

 clams (Myae.) They arrived the last season. May 7th, and 

 left us about the second week in August. The eggs of the 

 female are deposited about the last of June. When at rest, 

 they lie on the bottom, with their broad pectorals sdmetimes 

 spread, and sometimes closed : in swimming, however, the 

 pectorals are closed and laid flat upon the body. If alarmed 

 by tlie approach of a boat or any other object, they bury 

 themselves so completely in the sand that a very close obser- 

 vation is necessary to detect them. This concealment is 

 eff'ected by a rapid, lateral movement of the body, which dis- 

 places the sand from beneath, and causes it to fall upon their 

 sides and back, covering them entirely, except the eyes and 

 top of the head. Probably they often resort to this manoeu- 

 vre when approached by the large fish which feed upon them. 



