11. PHYcis. . 353 



2. Phycis americauus. 



Chuss, Schoepf in Schrift. Geselkch. Ntrf. Freunde Berlin, viii. p. 14.3. 



Enchelyopus americanus, Bl. Schn. p. 53. 



Gadus longipes, Mitch. Trans. Lit. &■ Phil. Sue. New York, i. p. 372. 



pi. 1. fig. 4. 

 Phycis furcatus, Storer, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist. i. p. 418. 

 americanus, Storer, Fish. Massach. p. 138 ; Dekay, Neio York 



Fault. Fish. p. 291. pi. 46. fig. 150. 



D. 10 I 52-54. A. 48-50. 



The first dorsal with some of the anterior rays elongate ; the 

 ventral extends beyond the origin of the anal. Barbel very sm all. 

 Ana] with blackish margin. 



Coasts of I^^orth America, northwards of New York. 



3. Phycis rostratus. 

 D. 9 I 59-62. A. 49-50. L. lat. ca 150. 



The first dorsal vnth. some of the rays elongate ; the ventral extends 

 to the origin of the anal. Ten series of scales between the anterior 

 dorsal and the lateral line. Ventral fins immaculate. 



Hub. ? 



a, b. Eight inches long. 



Description. — These specimens ought, perhaps, to be referred to 

 Ph. americamcs, but that species appears to have considerably longer 

 %"entral fins, at least according to the descriptions given of it. Ph. 

 dekaifi, briefly noticed by Kaup, is stated to have the body more ele- 

 vated thanP/;. anuricanus, and the ventrals nearly or quite twice as 

 long as the head. 



The height of the body is one-fifth of the total length (without 

 caudal), the length of the head one-fourth. Snout protruding, sub- 

 conical but somewhat depressed, longer than the diameter of the eye, 

 which is two-ninths of the length of the head. Cleft of the mouth 

 horizontal, with the upper jaw projecting much beyond the lower, 

 and with the maxillary extending to below the posterior margin of the 

 eye. Teeth cardiform, forming bands in the jaws and on the vomer. 

 Barbel very short and slender. The width of the bony interorbital 

 space equals the vertical diameter of the orbit ; operculum terminating 

 in a short pungent spine. The snout and the jaws are naked, the 

 remainder of the head being covered with small scales. 



The vent is situated below the eighth or eleventh rays of the second 

 dorsal, and the and fin commences immediately behind it. Fins 

 enveloped in a rather loose scaly membrane. The first dorsal com- 

 mences behind the base of the pectoral ; its third ray is the longest, 

 but considerably shorter than the head. The margins of the second 

 dorsal and anal are even ; caudal rounded, entirely free from dorsal 

 and anal. Tlie length of the pectoral is three-quarters of that of the 

 head ; ventral not much longer than the head. 



The coloration appears to have been uniform. 



VOt. IV. 2 A 



