[3] HISTORY OF THE TILE-FISH. 239 



interesting iu this couuection. All of this knowledge has been com- 

 bined with other material at hand, and though necessarily much of this 

 essay must be a compilation, the writer simply supplying the threads 

 to bind together the material which has been gathered from so many 

 sources ; it is, nevertheless, hoped that the manner of presenting these 

 facts may make them of some value to those interested iu the subject 

 under discussion. 



B.— GEXEKAL CHAEACTEEISTICS OF THE TILE-FISH. 



2.— DESCRIPTION OF THE FISH, WITH N'OTES ON ITS CLASSIFICATION. 



The Tile-hsh has many i»eculiarities of its own, and, even to the 

 casual observer, presents features which differ essentially from those 

 possessed by any other species found near the same locality. In size 

 it varies from five to fifty pounds ; its head is proportionately large, 

 and has a general resemblance to that of the dolphin {Coryphwna), and 

 also to that of the wolf-fish {Anarrhichas), though differing from both ; 

 the body is well formed, quite stout at the tail, like the salmon, and the 

 general make-up of the fish indicates that it is a rapid and active swim- 

 mer, well fitted to pursue and capture its food or to esc.ipe from its en- 

 emies. Its distinguishing characteristics, however, are the nuchal 

 crest or adipose dorsal fin just in front of the spinous dorsal, and the 

 peculiar color which it exhibits, being so profusely spotted with patches 

 of greenish-yellow, that it received the name of " Leopard-fish " from the 

 fishermen who were the first to capture it. 



" The liver," says Captain Dempsey, " is small, somewhat like that 

 of the mackerel, and contains no oil. The flesh is oily, and will soon 

 rust after splitting and drying. 



" The stomach and intestines are small, the latter resembling those 

 of an eel. 



" The swim bladder is similar to that of a cod. 



"Some of the fish 'blister' like cusk when taken on deck."* 



According to Captain Dempsey, Tile-fish, when caught on hand-lines, 

 are fully as active in their movements as cod, and appear even more 

 lively than the latter species when taken on deck. Captain Kirby, 

 however, who caught them on trawl-lines, says they exhibit less activity 

 than the cod. 



The following scientific description of the Lopholatilus chaviceleonti- 

 ceps Goode and Bean, was published in the Proceedings of United 

 States National Museum, Vol. 2, pp. 205-208 :t 



"A few days ago Capt. William H. Kirby, of Gloucester, Mass., took 

 500 pounds of a remarkable new fish on a codfish trawl in latitude 40^ 



* StatemcDt of Capt. William Dempsey, Proc. U. S. Nat. Museum, vol. 2, pp. 

 208, 209. 



t Description of a new genus and species of tisb, Lopholatilus chamaJeonUceps, from 

 the smith coast of New England, by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean. 



