FISHES OF NEW YORK . 733 



of its common names. Dr De Kay has eaten the species, how- 

 ever, and pronounces it to have a delicate flavor. Dr Mitchill 

 also describes it as " delicate eating." De Kay records it as high 

 up the Hudson as Peekskill. The following Interesting observa- 

 tions are to be found in his work: "When it is taken from the 

 water, it escapes readily from the hand by an undulating move- 

 ment, in which it is aided by its mucous surface and by an eleva- 

 tion of its scales beneath. By the same means it can make con- 

 siderable progress over a moderately smooth surface. It is 

 extremely tenacious of life, and I kept one alive four days out 

 of water." Another very curious habit of the American sole is 

 that of clinging to the glass front or side of an aquarium for 

 an indefinite length of time.. It is common on the shallow flats 

 of Great South bay in the summer and early fall. We obtained 

 specimens at the mouth of Swan creek and in Blue Point cove 

 in September 1890. This species is abundant in Swan creek, at 

 Patchogue L. I., and many very young examples were taken 

 there in the summer and fall of 1898, where the water was 

 brackish and, at low tide, fresh. In 1901 this species was taken 

 at Howell's point, Duncan's creek and Smith's point. 



Eugene Smith caught one very small example in a tidal creek 

 of the Hackensack river, where the water was fresh. He states 

 that it is believed that soles spawn in fresh water. 



The American sole, or calico flounder, has been obtained in 

 Gravesend bay every month of the year except the first four. It 

 is hardy in captivity. Its habit of clinging to the glass front and 

 the walls of its tank is interesting. 



Order pediculati 



Pediculate Fishes 

 Family lof'hiidae 

 Fishing Frogs 

 Genus lophius (Artedi) Linnaeus 

 Head wide, depressed, very large; body contracted, conic, 

 tapering rapidly backward from the shoulders; mouth exceed- 

 ingly large, terminal, opening into an enormous stomach; upper 

 jaw protractile, maxillary without supplementary bone; lower 



