FISHES. 215 



As to title, however, Mr. (ioode thinks that this iish is very much in need of a 

 characteristic name of its own. " Its local names are all preoccupied by other more 

 widely distributed or better known forms which seem to have substantial claims of 

 jiriority. In the Chesapeake, and south to below Cii\)(i Ilatteras, it is called the drum, 

 but its kinsman, Pogonius chromis, is known by the same name throughout its whole 

 range," and is " the possessor of a much lai'ger and more resonant musical organ : 

 some of the old writers coined names for it, like ' branded drum,' referring to the 

 brand-like spots upon the tail, and 'beardless drum,' but these are valueless for common 

 use, like most other 'book-names.' In the Carolinas, Florida, and the Gulf, we meet 

 Avith the names ' bass ' and its variations, ' spotted-bass,' ' red-bass,' ' sea-bass,' ' reef 

 bass,' and ' channel-bass.' Many persons suppose ' channel-bass ' to be a characteristic 

 name, but this is a mistake, for the term is applied probably only to large individuals 

 which are taken in the channels of streams and sounds ; wherever this name is used, 

 the smaller fish of the species are called simply 'bass' or 'school-bass;' even if the 

 word 'bass' could be so qualified as to be applicaljle to the species, there is an insuper- 

 able objection to its use for any fish of this family." ' Spot ' is .another name erro- 

 neously .applied to this fish ; it is " the property of a much smaller species of the 

 same family, otherwise known as ' Lafayette ' or ' Cape May goodie.' Finally we 

 have the 'red-fish' and 'red-horse' of Florida and the Gulf States, the 'j)oisson 

 rouge' of the Louisiana Creoles. Although this name is occasionally apjilied to a 

 much redder fish, the Norway haddock or red-perch of the north, it is, perha])s the 

 most characteristic one, and that most suitable for general use, especially if modified 

 into 'southern red-fish.'" 



The red-fish, as we must then call it, is a large s))ecies, and may be found not rarely 

 four or five feet long and weighing forty pounds or more, but the average weight is 

 .about ten pounds. It is regarded quite highly for talile purposes, and is also the sub- 

 ject of pursuit as a game fish. 



Another group of fishes of this family that demands some attention is th.at repre- 

 sented by the species called king-fish about New York. The group is known to the 

 American ichthyologists as the genus JUeuticirncs, and is related to the genus Uinb)-ina, 

 of which the best known sjtecies is European, but is distinguished by a more elon- 

 gated form, more b.ackward position of the ventrals, and the absence of an air-bladder, 

 besides some other characters. Of this genus MeiUicin-us, four species are found 

 along the eastern American coast. 



The common king-fish of the north (3T. nehulosus) is distinguished by its color, 

 which is blight grayish silvery, varied by dark bars of which the anterior run ob- 

 liquely backward and downward, and the posterior obliquely forward and downward ; 

 the fins are dusky and sjjotless. In addition to the name king-fish, the species is 

 called 'whiting,' and 'barb.' It is quite an abundant species, but of comparatively 

 small size. They average three quarters of a pound, and the largest heard of by Mr. 

 Goode reached the weight of only a pound and a halt'. It is a common market iisli 

 and is regarded as a delicious pan-fish, sweet and hard, and of delicate flavor.'' 



A species (J/ alburniis), common at Charleston, is related to the king-fish of the 

 north, but differs in its teeth and color. It is also prized as a t.able-fish, and in 

 Charleston it is regarded as a special dainty, and it is told that when the city was 

 closely blockaded during "the late unpleasantness," the "commander of the gari-ison, 

 who was a bon vivant, gave one hundre<l dollars nf Confederatt' money for a string 

 of whitintf." 



