CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



15 



Snout : The part of the head that lies iu front of the eyes except the 

 lower jaw. 



Ventral fins: The paired fins on the lower part of the breast; close 

 under the pectorals in these fishes. 



The Queenfish, or White Croaker (Seriphus politus). 



The length of the base of the second dorsal fin is about equal in length 

 to the base of the anal fin. The tip of the snout is rather sharp and the 

 tip of the lower jaw projects beyond it when the mouth is closed. The 

 mouth is long and narrow, and the maxillary does not quite reach to 

 vertically below the hind border of the eye. The dorsal fins are well 

 separated, and the spines of the first dorsal are slender. The color is 

 bluish above with the sides and belly bright silvery, the fins yellow, and 

 the base of the pectoral dusky. 



Fig. 6. The queenfish {Seriphus politus). 



On the southern California coast this fish is ridiculously called her- 

 ring, a name that should decidedly be discouraged, for it has nothing 

 in common with the herring, is not related to it, and does not even look 

 like it. It also in the same region shares with Genyonemus Uncatus, the 

 name of kingfish. The latter is almost universally so known and hence 

 has the best right to the name. 



This fish reaches a length of about a foot, and is an excellent pau-fish. 

 It is salted and smoked to some extent in southern California and 

 marketed as herring. It is common on sandy shores of the southern 

 and Lower California coasts, and has been taken as far northward as 

 San Francisco. 



The White "Sea Bass" (Cynoscion nobilis). 



The snout is sharp and the tip of the lower jaw projects beyond it 

 when the mouth is closed, while the length of the base of the second 

 dorsal is three or more times the length of the anal base. The length 

 of the pectoral fin is more than half the length of the head, and the tip 

 of the pectoral reaches about to opposite the tips of the ventrals. 

 There are no greatly enlarged teeth pointing backwards at the front 

 of the upper jaw. The mouth is large and the maxillary nearly or quite 

 reaches to vertically below the hind ])order of the eye. The caudal fin 



