Remarks on the Natural History of Fishes. 343 
Signated as the “ Horn pout,” and described as our fish, which 
belongs to a distinct genus. Dr. Smith observes, “there are — 
two species (of Silurus) in this vicinity. _I never heard of one. 
From a careful inspection of our market for two years, and a 
constant intercourse with fishermen during that period, several of 
Whom for along time were bank fishermen, | am satisfied the 
Bank cod—“ Morrhua vulgaris,” is not taken in our waters. I 
have accordingly described our species in my report under the 
name of “ M, Americana.” 
The “ Merlucius vulgaris’ —Hake, is called by our fishermen 
the “ Whiting ;’ our author, learning therefore that the Whi- 
ting was found on our coast, has supposed of course that it was 
the Huropean Whiting, and we accordingly have here an ac- 
count of the “ merlangus vulgaris,” which is not seen with us. 
Our “ Pollock” is not the European fish, but the “purpureus” 
of Mitchill. 
What can be more amusing than the remarks which we find 
under the genus “ Raniceps.” The “ Blennius viviparous” and 
“ Raniceps trifurcatus” are here side by side as synonymes of the 
same fish—Blenny. 'The one belonging to the order AcanrHo- 
Tere, family Gosromae; the other, to the order Marac- 
OPTERYGH, family Gapipar. Thisis notall; a perfect burlesque 
of the “ viviparous blenny,” appears in the form of a figure 
copied from. Strack, with these remarks accompanying it; “on 
ooking over that splendid series of German lithographic plates 
of fishes, by Dr. Strack, 1828, an exact figure even to the color- 
ig was noticed, which truly exhibits the blenny of the harbors 
of Massachusetts, and must therefore, we strongly suspect, have 
been drawn from the American blenny.” After reading the 
above, what can the student think, when we tell him that this fish 
Was never found in our waters; that our blenny is totally un- 
like the « viviparous,” and instead of being earicatured in “the 
Splendid series of German plates,” was, years ago, figured by 
Professor Peck, in the American Academy’s Transactions, as the 
« anguillaris,” formed by nature. 
Determined to have a “ Raniceps,” we find that Dr. Smith has 
here introduced the “ blennioides ;’ the individual which he 
Speaks of, as “a cream colored fish truly disgusting in appear- 
ace,” was purchased of him by this society, and proves to be a 
Specimen with the cuticle abraded, of what he upon page 243 
