182 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



lia.s skinny tufts over the eyes, which are wanting in the latter. Yet 

 the BJennius se^'pentinus has a very elongated form and no superciliary 

 tufts, and the PJioUs siihhifurcatuB has also an elongated form, and 

 therefore no resemblance to a true Pholis. In fact the two species 

 belong to a different family from Blennius and Pholis, and are related 

 to each other. They are the stichands now named Leptoljlennliis ser- 

 penthms and Eumesogrammus subhifurcatus. 



The want of appreciation of the value of words as well as of natural 

 relations was also manifested in the treatment of the tlat-fishes. Cuvier 

 had divided the typical pleuronectids into three genera, or, as he called 

 them, subgenera: Platesaa, distinguished by a row of obtuse trenchant 

 teeth on the jaws; JI/j:)J)0(/1(as.si/s^ having strong pointed teeth, and 

 JRhmnbus, including the turbots. While professedly adopting these 

 genera, he referred to Plafesso several species {deiitata, oNonr/a^ qva- 

 droccUata)^ which are really more nearly allied to the hali))ut and Euro- 

 pean species associated with that fish. Cuvier had not referred to the 

 American species, and Storer had consequently to do for himself. 



The last genus that requires attention is Carcharias. The part of 

 the History referring to it was published in 1807. As early as 1811 

 Midler and Henle had published their great work on plagiostoraes and 

 the sharks of the American coasts had long been referred to their 

 proper genera; but all the labor was lost, so far as Storer was con- 

 cerned. Four species were referred by him to the genus. Only one 

 {obscurus) has the characters assigned in the diagnosis. One (c/riseus) 

 is an Odontasjns, another {vidpes) an AlqpiaSj and the fourth {atwoodi) 

 is the great white i^\i^Y\i {CarcJiarodon carcharias). It will be thus 

 seen that his four species of Carcharias belong to four families of 

 Midler and Henle and most modern systematists. 



If we examine his descriptions we too often find that while they fill 

 every requisite as to length, there is too much perfunctory verbiage 

 and too little precision. For example, the "form" of the striped bass, 

 as well as of " the Spanish mackerel'" {Scomher dekayi or coUas)., is said 

 to be "cylindrical,''' while the common mackerel is claimed to have 

 the "body elongated.'' Now there is really no difierencc in form 

 between the two mackerels'^', and that form is as nearly fusiform as 

 any fish can have. Anyone who knows what a C3dinder is would be 

 so misled b}' Storers description that he would be precluded from 

 identifj^ing the striped bass from the description — if he relied on it. 

 The mackerels are certainly elongated, but so is an eel and so also is a 

 hairtail. It is evident, therefore, that the unqualified adjective is alto- 

 gether too vague and meaningless. These examples of the want of 

 precision and misuse of terms must suffice. 



Another feature which may excite the surprise of the new student 



nin his Report (p. 46) Storer attributed to "Scomber colias" a "form elongated, very round and 

 plump," and omitted all mention of the form of "' Scomber vernalis." Tlie italics are Storer's. 



