50 GENUS SARGUS. 



Geographical Distribution. This fish has been hitherto observed only in the 

 waters of South Carolina and Georgia. 



General Remarks. The Centropristes trifurca was first described by Linneeus, 

 and. succeeding naturalists have, to this time, only copied his description. 



FAMILY SPARID^E.— O^mVr. 



Characters. Jaws not protractile ; neither vomerine nor palatine teeth ; pre- 

 opercle and opercle without spines or serratures ; dorsal fin single ; scales ctenoid 

 and large ; branchial rays never more than six. 



Hemarks. This family was founded by Cuvier, chiefly on the genus Sparus of 

 Artedi, the celebrated Swedish ichthyologist, to include only those species with 

 non-protractile jaws, and it comprises several genera. Prior to the publication of 

 the work of Cuvier and Valenciennes, there existed in no family of fishes so much 

 confusion ; nor any in which such a number of animals belonging to entirely dif- 

 ferent genera and families were included. It is especially Valenciennes, one of 

 the best ichthyologists of our time, who, by his researches, has cleared up the ob- 

 scurity that rested on this subject.* 



GENUS SAUGVS. — Klein. 



Characters. Jaws not protractile ; trenchant incisor teeth in both jaws ; 

 molar teeth in several series, sub-conical, rounded at their apices and paved; 

 branchial rays five. 



* Hist. Nat. Poiss., torn. vi. p. 1 el seq. 



