56 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
GENUS HEMITRIPTERUS. Cuvier. 
Head and body with numerous fleshy slips. Velvet-like teeth on the jaws, vomer and pala 
tines. A single dorsal, deeply divided, or separated into two fins. 
Oss. Of this genus, I am not aware that more than one species has been observed on our 
coast, although the varieties dependent on color are numerous. It appears to hold an inter- 
mediate station between Cottus and Scorpio; and the species to be now noticed, has been 
placed in either genus by various writers. 
THE AMERICAN SEA RAVEN. 
HeEMITRIPTERUS AMERICANUS, 
PLATE VI. FIG. 16. } Narurau sizE.—(CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 
Acadian Bull-head. PENN. Arct. Zool. Vol. 3, p. 118? 
Coitus hispidus et tripterygius. Bu. Scun. pl. 13; Dict. Sc. Nat. Vol. 11, p. 15. 
Scorpena flava, Yellow Scorpena. Mircuiry, Lit. and Phil. Vol.1, p. 382, pl. 2, fig. 8. 
Scorpena purpurea? et rufa? Ip. Am. Month. Magazine, Vol. 2, p. 245. (Varieties.) 
H.. americanus. Cuv. et Vat. Hist. des Poiss. Vol. 4, p. 268, pl. 84. 
H. id, GrirritH, Cuv. An. Kingdom, Vol, 10, p. 141, pl. 53, fig. 3, a. 
The Sea Raven, H. americanus. StToREeR, Fishes of Massachusetts, p. 23. 
Characteristics. Yellow or blood-red; varied with brown. Length, one to two feet. 
Description. Body oblong, cylindrical, tapering rapidly to the tail. Head large, with 
irregular cavities, knobs and elevations. Supra-orbital margin elevated, and furnished with 
two strong spines; four rows of irregular spines extending from the orbits to the nape. 
Above the snout, an elevated crest on each side, with spinous projections, and a broader 
intermediate eminence. From several of these prominences, arise various cutaneous digi- 
tated cirri or slips; ten or twelve of these are also pendant from the lower jaw. Summit of 
the head very concave between the orbital crests. Surface of the body covered with a granu- 
Jated skin; on which, more particularly above the lateral line, are disposed in rows small 
conic tubercles. Preopercle with three spines, the lowest being very small. Opercle termi- 
nating in a blunt point, and with elevated spinous ridges on its surface. Branchial membrane 
six-rayed. Jaws equal and rounded. Card teeth in both jaws, on the vomer, palatine and 
pharyngeal bones. ‘Tongue smooth and large. Lateral line indicated by a series of tuber- 
cles, and concurrent with the dorsal outline. 
The first dorsal fin, or rather the spinous portion, commences well on the nape, somewhat 
anterior to the ventrals, and extends to a point above the origin of the anal fin; the first ray 
longest ; the second and third suddenly decreasing to the fourth and fifth, which are low and 
subequal; from these, the rays lengthen through the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth, which 
are subequal, when the rays again shorten to the last: the tips of most of these rays are 
furnished with fleshy slips or appendages. The second dorsal arises so immediately behind 
