274 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



For the beautiful living specimen, from which my description and drawing have 

 been made, I am indebted to John Manchester Smith, M. D., of Tisbury ; and the 

 notes upon the habits of this species were furnished me by my excellent friend, William 

 O. Ayres, M. D., a very accurate observer, of East Hartford, Connecticut, now estab- 

 lished in San Francisco, California. 



Maine, Massachusetts, Storer. Connecticut, Ayres. New York, Mitchill, 

 CuviER, Dekay. Gulf of Mexico, Cuvier. 



FAMILY X. LABRIDtE. 



Body oblong and scaly; a single dorsal is supported in front by spines, each 

 of which is generally furnished with a membranous appendage ; the jaAvs are covered 

 with fleshy lips; there are three pharyngeals, two upper ones attached to the cranium, 

 and a large lower one, all three armed with teeth, sometimes en pave, sometimes in 

 points or lamina?, but generally stronger than usual ; an intestinal canal Avithout cceca, 

 or with two very small ones, and a strong natatory bladder. 



GENUS I. CTENOLABRUS, Val. 



Body elongated. Preopercle denticulated. A band of velvet-like teeth in front; 

 behind, the conical teeth, in the jaws. Three spinous rays to the anal fin. 



Ctenolabrus ceruleus, Dekay. 



The Common Conner. 



(Plate XX. Fig. 1.) 



Tautoga cei-ulea, Blue-fish or Bergall, MiTCniLL, Report in part, p. 24. 



Labrtis chogset, Bergall of New York, MiTcniLL, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 402, pi. 3, fig. 



Crenilabnts burgall, Schoeppf, Griffith's Cuv., x. p. 258. 



" " Conner, Blue Perch, Chogset, Storeb, Report, p. 78. 



« " " " " Atres, Best. Joum. Nat. Hist., iv. p. 263. 



Le Ctenolabre chogset, Ctenolabrus chogset, Cuv. ct Val., xiii. p. 237. 

 Ctenolabrus ceruleus, Tlie Common Burgal, Dekat, Report, p. 172, pi. 29, fig. 93. 

 Ctenolabre mouchi, Ctenolabrus uninotaius, Cdv. et Val., xiii. p. 239. 



" " " " Dekat, Report, n. 174, pi. 29, fig. 90. 



Ctenolabrus ceruleus, Stobeb, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, ii. p. 386. 



" " " Synopsis, p. 134. 



Color. This species varies exceedingly in its coloring : some specimens being of a 

 deep-blue color; others, of a uniform brown or rust color; while the ground of 

 others is greenish, with copperish spots ; or red, with black points or dots sprinkled over 



