32 Additions to the Description 



Linnceus in that the 8th, and not the 10th, is the longest ray 

 (counting from the first) of the dorsals. The fish, with a 

 length of from half a foot to a foot, is hardly an inch in 

 thickness, and is easily dried. It is found only during the 

 summer in the waters of New York ; is not eaten, and has not 

 yet received any distinctive name." 



There can be no doubt here as to the species which was 

 examined and described by Schopf. His particular mention 

 of the long rays of the second dorsal and anal, as distinguishing 

 it from the Zeus or argyreiosus Vomer, which has them in the 

 first dorsal, is alone enough to prove that he was not examining 

 this last species. Indeed he does not appear to have met with 

 the A. Vomer in our waters. As for the anal spines they are so 

 hidden as easily to escape observation, though Linnceus had 

 noticed them. They are present in all the allied genera. The 

 numbers of the fin rays are almost precisely alike in Selene and 

 Argyreiosus. Schopf also gives but 6 rays to the first dorsal 

 and 5 to the ventrals, whereas the first of these fins has 8 and 

 the last 1.5 rays. His description is therefore the first one 

 p ublished of the Selene. 



Lacepede was the second to notice and the first to figure it. 

 His plate, however, is taken from Aubriet's copy of Plumier's 

 drawing, and his meagre description is made from the figure 

 only. He for once nevertheless was in the right, and though 

 he named this species, which he had never seen, his name, un- 

 meaning as it is, must be retained. 



The next account of the Selene is to be found in the great 

 work entitled " Selecta Genera et Species Piscium Braziliensium." 

 The figures in this work are all or in part from drawings by 

 Spix and the descriptions are by Agassiz. At j>age 109 there 

 is a description under the head of Argyreiosus Vomer, with a 

 figure on plate 58 to illustrate it. This is curiously enough a 

 very correct description and figure of the unlucky Selene, which 

 about the same time was made a doubtful species by Cuvier, 

 who, from want of specimens, had been led to deny its existence. 



