THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 323 
broad, rounded, and free. Nostrils close together in front of 
eye, posterior larger. Preopercular angle rather salient, with 
spine directed down, and posterior margin serrated, serre in- 
creasing in size towards angle. Obsolete opercular spines 2. 
Margin of suprascapula entire. Gill-rakers 11-++15, 1, lance- 
olate, and longest a little longer than filaments or 134 in eye. 
Scales ctenoid, largest on side and opercle, above lateral line at 
first in series sloping obliquely up towards base of spinous dorsal, 
and after this point in series longitudinally parallel. Below 
lateral line scales in horizontal series, posteriorly parallel with its 
course. Series of small scales 1 or 2 along bases of rayed dorsal 
and anal, conspicuous. Base of caudal finely scaled. About 13 
Silver Perch. Bairdiella chrysura (Lacépéde). (Young.) 
series of scales on cheek. Lateral line of simple tubes, a little 
convex at first, then sloping down to middle of side of caudal 
peduncle, and continued out on base of caudal. Spinous dorsal 
inserted about midway between posterior nostrils and origin of 
rayed dorsal, and graduated down from fourth or longest spine, 
fifth subequal, and last spines short. Rayed dorsal inserted mid- 
way between posterior margin of preopercle and base of caudal, 
and rays graduated down from first which is highest. Spinous 
anal inserted nearly midway between tip of pectoral and base 
of caudal, second spine much longer, and slender. Rayed anal 
graduated down from first ray, which is longest. Caudal broad, 
with upper and median rays longest so that posterior edges are 
