284 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The caudal fiu is deeply forked; the depth of the fin at its extremities, 

 when expanded, is equal to the height of the outer rays. 



The fiu rays are as follows : D. 19; P. 15, IG, or 17; Y. G ; A. 20, 21, 

 oii 22 ; C. 20|. 



Leugth, eight to fourteen inches. 



[From Dekay's "Zoology of New York," Part IV., Fishes, 1842, p. 259.] 



The mossbonker. Alosa menhaden. 

 (Plate XXI, Fig. 60.) 



Bony-fish or Mossbonker. Cltipea menhaden. 



MiTCHiLL, Report iu part, &c., p. 21. 

 Hard-head or Marsbaukers. C. meuhaden. 



Id. Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc.,vol. 1, p. 453. 

 The Menhaden, Hard-head. Alosa menhaden. 



Storer, Massachusetts, Report, p. 117. 



Characteristics. — Silvery ; no stripes ; a humeral spot. A double ac- 

 cessory ray to the ventrals. Abdomen serrated behind the ventrals. 

 Leugth 10-14 inches. 



Description. — Body much compressed ; its height to its length as one 

 to four nearly. Abdomen cultrate, with a fissure along its edge, indis- 

 tinctly serrated before the ventrals, sharply serrate behind. Scales 

 large, elliptical, distinctly and evenly ciliate on the free margins; 

 on the back smaller and more crowded ; on the nape the scales have 

 longer unequal cilise. Xo appearance of a lateral line. Head large, com- 

 pressed, one-third of the total length; the opercles with curved and 

 radiating striae. Mouth large, the upper jaw emarginate on the side. 

 The gill membrane on one side folds over its opposite, with five sleuder 

 cylindrical, and three larger and flat rays. Branchial arches four, with 

 a small rudimentary one in front, all angular, and with a long minutely 

 fringed filament. Eyes nearly covered by a nictitating membrane. 

 Tongue soft, white, minutely punctate with black. The dorsal fin long, 

 emarginate; the first three rays simple, articulated; the anterior be- 

 ing very short, the remainder branched ; first branchial ray highest, the 

 last higher than the four preceding. This fin is concave on its margin, 

 and is placed in a sheath. Pectorals long and pointed on a line with 

 the margin of the opercles ; the first ray simple ; the accessory plate 

 large and as long as the fifth ray. Ventrals feeble, short, fan-shaped, 

 lying under the anterior portion of the dorsal, with double accessory 

 plates. Anal long and low, the two first rays simj)le, the first shortest ; 

 the last ray longer than the fourteen preceding. Scales covering the 

 base of the rq^ys, so as to form a sort of sheath. Caudal forked, much 

 branched, and with numerous accessory rays. Scales extending high 



