4 J 
‘ Mand 
~ Clupea elongata, (p. 250.)—We could have overlooked Dr. 
Dekay’s copying our description of the common herring of Mas- 
sachusetts, without giving us credit for the same, had he not un- 
fortunately transferred an error contained in said description into 
his pages. Instead of the eyes being “two diameters apart,” the 
‘distance between the eyes is less than the diameter of the eye. 
- Alosa tyrannus, (p. 258.)—Our common alewive is here cata- 
logued under Latrobe’s specific name of tyrannus, although it is 
acknowledged to be “absurd and unmeaning,” because Peck’s 
prior name of serrata “is a mere name without any specific 
character, or clue to its identity.” Why is not Peck’s name as 
appropriate here as that of Pimelodus catus? 'The specific char- 
acter is evidently indefinite in both—in neither more so, how- 
ever, than the name of tyrannus in this species ; and we are not 
a little surprised that the New York ichthyologist had not retain- 
ed the very acceptable and appropriate name of Dr. Mitchill, 
piece for this species. 
- Amia occidentalis, (p. 269. Why i is not this species the Amia 
calva, described and figured by Kirtland in Vol. III, No. 41, of the 
Boston Journal of Natural History, published in Noventiber; 1840, 
as inhabiting Lake Erie? Its size is the same as that species ; 
the number of its fin-rays differ but slightly. Dr. Dekay, it is 
true, while pointing out its characters, says “tail unspotted ;” 
but then he afterwards acknowledged, when speaking of _ 
colors—« I can say nothing, ae Thad only a ¢ ores sree 
- Lota inornata, (p. 283.)—I read rip ies to 
this Society, April 21, 181, 1 der the nam 0 a brosmiana a; 
that description, accompanied — figure, , appeared in your Jour- 
nal for January, 1842. | ahaa hin 
-Brosmius vulgaris, vir 299: De Dekey was rights in doubt- 
ing mers ideenierat the American cusk with the European species. 
myself a time since, that I had committed an error 
in my report. he ut. r author has never seen a specimen of Le- 
sueur’s cusk, I would here point out its differences from the for- 
eign species. It is of a more elongated form; its dorsal and 
anal fins are united to the caudal fin; its eyes are oblong, and 
there is an ‘immense difference: in the’ number of their fin-rays. 
Dr. Dekay seems to have ‘misunderstood my account of the color 
of this species. He says “the cusk of Storer, is uniform dark 
slate.” described, as I here state, in my report, a specimen 
36 
” a xtv, No. 2.—July—Sept. 1843. 
