262 Ayres' Enumeration of the 



Vomer setapinnis. Mitch. 



The only specimen of this species that I have seen, I pick- 

 ed up dead, upon the beach, Nov. 21, 1840 ; it had apparently 

 just been left by the tide, and was very little injured. It 

 agrees well with Dr. MitchilPs description of the Zeus seta- 

 pinnis ; his figure, however, gives too little depth compared 

 with the length ; Swainson's figure of the Argyriosus Mau- 

 riceii more nearly resembles my specimen in its form. The 

 species must be, I suppose, very rare. 



Peprilus triacanthus. Peck. 



Though not uncommon, according to Dr. Storer, on the 

 coast of Massachusetts, this species is, in the waters of Long 

 Island, very rare. May 22d, 1841, I saw three of them, of 

 which I succeeded in taking one. The fish is scarcely known 

 to the fishermen, though one or two of them told me that 

 they had seen it. 



Atherina Bosch. Cuv. 



The Atherina notata of Mitchill, A. Boscii of Cuvier, is a 

 species rather abundant through the summer. They arrive in 

 the harbor in May, and remain till November ; and I have 

 picked them up on the beach, driven ashore by storms, through 

 the whole winter. They form no small amount of food for 

 the Blue-fish and Basse, and may be used with success as bait 

 for either. 



LopHius piscATORius. Liu. * 



The Fishing-Frog- is very rare ; I have met with but one 

 specimen and heard of another. The one which I saw (Dec. 

 28th, 1840) had been left by the tide on the meadows of the 

 harbor ; it was in length about fortythree inches. 



Batrachus variegatus. Le Sueur. 



The Toad-Fish is not uncommon; during the warm 

 weather they lie hid among the eel-grass, and are seldom seen. 

 One which I caught the last summer, and kept for some time, 

 would snap very fiercely at the finger or a stick held towards 

 him, and would sometimes allow himself to be lifted out of 



