POGONIAS CROMIS. . 113 



coloui'ed, with a bronzed tint ; a black spot behind the root of the pectoral fin. 

 B. 7. D. 10-1-22. P. 18. V. 1-5. A. 2-7. C. 17. 



Synonymes. Labrus cromis, Lin., Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 479. 



Labrus cromis, Gmel., Ed. Syst. Nat., torn. i. pars iii. p. 1292. 

 La Sciene chromis, Lacep., Hist. Nat. Poiss., torn. iv. p. 184. 



Labrus , Drum-fish, ScJiocpff, Schrift. der Gesells. Nat. Freund., b. viii. st. ii. 



p. 158. 

 Sciasna gigas, Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y., vol. i. p. 412, pi. 5, fig. 10. 

 Scirona fusca, Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. N. Y., vol. i. p. 409. 

 Pogonias chromis, Cuv. et Vol., Hist. Nat. Poiss., torn. v. p. 206. 

 Pogonias chromis, BeKay, Zool. N. Y., part iv. p. 80. 

 Pogonias chromis, Slorer, Synops., p. 72. 

 Drum, or Drum-fish, Vulgo. 



Description. This very large fish is oblong, sub-ovate, thick and nearly 

 straight at the belly, thin and much arched at the back. The head is large, 

 slightly prominent between the eyes, and swollen at the sides ; the snout is full, 

 rounded, and has a large, loose, pendent fold of skin, as in Umbrina, but uncleft ; 

 within this is a shorter, thinner, and narrower fold ; in the larger fold are five 

 pores ; the external on each side are elliptical, and much the largest ; above these 

 is a semicircular row of eight or ten minute pores. 



The eye is large, the pupil deep sea-blue, and the iris of a light golden-grey 

 colour. The nostrils are double ; the posterior is oval, large, and directed down- 

 wards and forwards from the middle to the inferior plane of the orbit ; the anterior 

 is much smaller, round, midway between the orbit and snout, and about the lower 

 plane of the orbit. 



The mouth is moderately large, with lips tolerably thick and fleshy ; the upper 

 jaw is very protractile, longer than the lower, which is received within it ; both 

 are armed with several series of short, small, conical, sharp-pointed, closely-set 

 teeth ; those of the lower jaw are rather smallest. The tongue is very large, 

 thick, fleshy, rounded in front, and tied down to its tip. The palate is smooth ; 



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