SCIENID.E. 209 



The body is long, slender and compressed ; head convex above the 

 eyes, the scales moderate-sized, oval, covering the head and gill-covers ; 

 the lateral line is slightly curved ; the eyes large ; maxillaries, inter- 

 maxillaries, and pharyngeals minutely toothed. 



The first dorsal fin is triangular, and Ioniser than it is hiojh, of eisrht 

 weak spines ; between this and the second dorsal is a single weak 

 spine. The second dorsal has twenty-eight soft rays, the pectorals 

 have eighteen soft rays, the ventrals one spine and five soft rays, the 

 anal thu-teen, and the caudal seventeen rays. 



Of this fish there are two distinct varieties, the Otolithus Caroli- 

 nensis, also misnamed Trout, which is bluer on the back than the 

 Common Weak-Fish, and is spotted rather than striated ; and the 

 Otolithus Drummondi^ a smaller species found at New Orleans. 



The Common Weak-Fish is taken with the hook and reel of all 

 sizes, from a few ounces up to seven or eight pounds, and it is posi- 

 tively asserted even up to thirty, but I have never seen a specimen 

 approaching to such dimensions. 



