126 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
Color. Nearly uniform, lustrous, silvery. Back bright plumbeous, or slate color. Dorsal 
and ventral filaments black; those of the anal yellowish. Caudal light yellow, darker at 
the base. 
Length, 4°5. Depth, 2°5. 
PinraysD. 1.3.4.1.225 P. 18; V. 1.55 ,A e119 Cotas 
In the Memoir on the fishes of New-York, by Dr. Mitchill, he describes or figures four 
species under the name of Zeus. One of them is only figured under the name of Spinous 
Dory. As no description accompanied it, Cuvier, from an inspection of the figure alone, 
supposes it to be closely allied to, if not identical with, his Trachinotus fuscus. I have 
described it as the T. spinosus. The next Zeus, we arrange under Vomer ; the third is the 
Argyreiosus vomer ; and the last is the A. capillaris, the one now described. Dr. Mitchill 
evidently supposed this to be the fish described under that name by Bloch, which, however, 
belongs to another genus. In speaking of the species now under consideration, Cuvier and 
Valenciennes observe, ‘‘ Nous n’oserions affirmer si ce deuxiéme filament (de la premiere 
“« dorsale) lui donne un caractére spécifique suffisant.” We are disposed, however, from the 
other characters detailed above, to consider it specifically distinct, although closely allied to 
the preceding. As the same specific name is applied by Bloch and Mitchill, it might be 
questioned whether the name given by the latter should not be changed ; and in a catalogue 
which I drew up some years since, I had named it A. matchilli. As they*belong, however, 
to different genera, there appears to be no necessity for making the change. The practice of 
naming species after individuals has led to so many abuses, that it is gradually becoming 
relinquished among the best continental writers. 
This beautiful and strangely shaped fish appears in our waters, but in very inconsiderable 
numbers, about the latter end of August, when it is captured in gill-nets. I cannot, from 
experience, say whether it is a very palatable article of food, but its congener is said to be 
excellent. 
