SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 321 



"yearling drums", "two-foot drums", and "old drums". The most valued 

 is the yearling, but the two-foot drum is of nearly the same value; these are 

 shipped to the northern markets. The puppy drums are shipped only in boxes 

 of assorted fish. The old drums, while highly prized as game fish, are of little 

 value as food when eaten fresh, but are very acceptable when salted and dried, 

 the viscera being removed, the back-bone taken out, and the sides cut off, salted, 

 and laid out to dry, often on the roof of the fisherman's house. The dried fish 

 are rather coarse, but with proper cooking are reported to be very good. The 

 catch of this species in North Carolina in 1902 was about 200,000 pounds, valued 

 at about $3,000. 



The characteristic caudal spot normally lies between the lateral line and the 

 upper edge of the tail, and is about the size of the eye. Supernumerary spots 

 are often met with, these being in advance of the other spot above, on, or below 

 the lateral line or occasionally immediately below the regular mark; the extra 

 spots are nearly always smaller, and usually absent from one side. 



Genus MENTICIRRHUS Gill. Whitings. 

 Small American shore fishes, most frequently found on sandy bottom ; char- 

 acterized by elongate, little compressed body; long conical head with overhang- 

 ing snout; small, horizontal mouth, with teeth in bands in both jaws; a single 

 barbel on chin; short gill-rakers; 10 or 11 rather high, slender dorsal spines; anal 

 fin with a single sharp spine; asymmetrical caudal fin, the upper lobe sharp, the 

 lower rounded; and absent air-bladder. Three of the 9 or 10 known species are 

 found on the North Carolina coast, and are not often distinguished, all being 

 known there as "sea mullet". 



Key to the North Carolina species of Menticirrhus. 

 i. Gill-rakers on first arch mere tubercular projections, covered with teeth; scales on breast 

 large; some of outer teeth in upper jaw enlarged; body with more or less distinct dark 

 markings. 

 a. Soft rays of dorsal fin 2.5 or 26; spinous dorsal little elevated, the longest spine not reach- 

 ing soft dorsal when flexed; color silvery gray with obscure dusky bars on back and 



sides; pectorals yellowish americanus. 



aa. Soft rays of dorsalfin 26 or 27; spinous dorsal elevated, the longest spine reaching beyond 

 front of soft dorsal when flexed; color dusky gray, with well defined black irregular bars 



on back and sides; color sometimes almost entirely black; pectorals dark saxatilis. 



ii. Gill-rakers on first arch short and slender; scales on Ijreast small; outer teeth in upper jaw 

 scarcely enlarged; body silvery, without any dark markings whatever littoralis. 



{Menticirrhus, chin barbel.) 



277. MENTICIRRHUS AMERICANUS (Linnaeus). 



"Sea Mullet"; "Whiting"; "Round-head"; "Sea-mink"; "King-fish"; "Virginia 



Mullet"; Carolina Whiting. 



Cyprinus americanus Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. x, 321, 1758; Carolina. 



Menticirrus albumus. Yarrow, 1877, 210; Beaufort. Goode, 1884, 376; Cape Fear River, N. C, to Rio Grande, 



Texas. Earll, 1887, 486; Beaufort. Jenkins, 1887. 90; Beaufort. Kendall & Smitli, 1894, 24; Hat- 



teras Inlet. 

 MerUieirrhus americanus, Jordan & Evermann. 1898, 1474, pi. ccxxv, fig. 572. Linton, 1905, 398; Beaufort. 



Diagnosis. — Depth .20 to .25 length; head .28 length; maxillary reaching as far as pupil; 

 outer teeth in upper jaw much enlarged; eye small, .14 length of head, .5 length of snout; scales 



