FISHES. 



187 



the length of a foot ; genei-ally it is found in large schools swimming near the surface 

 of the water, and its Dutch name is marsbanker. The original Dutch colonists of 

 New York saw a resemblance in the mode of schooling and action of the menhaden 

 and the marsbcmker of their native country, and they applied to the American clu- 

 jieid their name for the European fish, and thus was j)erpetuated in the United States 

 a Dutch name for a fish very unlike that which it originally designated. 



Closely related to the common scad is the big-eyed scad, also more generally known 

 as the goggler, and goggle-eyed Jack — the Trachitt'ops crmnenophthalmus of natu- 

 ralists. The very large prominent eyes are the most striking feature of the fish, and 

 enable it to be readily identified. In appearance and habits it is much like the com- 



V^K^. 111. — i'mrkafas tiau7'U6 soaU (below). 



, mackerel (,abuvej. 



nion scad of Europe, but the anterior portion of the lateral line is destitute of the 

 vertical plates characteristic of the true scad. The species has a wide distribution in 

 tropical seas and detachments occasionally ascend along tiic eastern coast of the 

 United States, northward to Massachusetts. 



The genus Caranx is a large one, embracing species whose lateral line is armed 

 with elevated plates along its posterior portion, which have the front of the body 

 oblong and the upper outline of the head decurved, a distinct first dorsal fin, and no 

 dorsal or anal finlets. To this genus belong the common crevalle and hon-se crevalle 

 of the eastern American coast. 



The most common American species of Caranx is the Caranx hippus. The 

 names by which it is mostly known are crevalle or cavalle, simply corruptions of the 



