86 



Has hcea criu^^ht a lew iiuies with hook and line im the 

 coast oi" Worcester county, and in tlic (Jhesa]>eake oil" the 

 southern extremity of St. Mary's county. 



Being covered Avith .•stout and sharp Sj)ine.s: it is an object 

 ut" great disgust to the unlucky lishcrnjau who chances to lind 

 one attached to the end of his line. They swell themselves 

 into a round hall, beset in every direction witii long spines, 

 iUid with the spaces between the spines to«) .^niall to admit 

 ti;e iiugers of the human hand, 



AcAi). Coll. 



OHYLOMYCTERUS Bibron. 



C. (iEOMETRICUS. 



The Spiny Box Fish. 



Uody trunk-shaped, front of head abruptly descending, the 

 whole surface^ except chin and tail, covered Avith sharp, re- 

 curved, triangular, compressed spines, each with a three 

 pointed base, the up])er ones larger than tlie lower, those 

 over the eyes (juite prominent. (This species possesses the'. 

 l)roperty of puiJing itself up into a globular ball, and can 

 lioat in tliis state on tlie surface.) Bright sea-green above, 

 witli longitudinal, olive-brown, irregular stripes on the back, 

 and upp>er part of tlie sides, and obii<|ue stripes below the 

 eyes. It has eight large olive-brown spots of irregular form. 

 Abdomen whitish. 



Fin-rays: -D. 13; 1'. 1^4: A. l:i; C. y. 



C. <icomeiricaSy (Guenther Vlll. p. olO. ) 



Diodoii [jeomctricus. Bl. Schn. p. olil, iig. 'J6. 



— iiiaculato-str'wtus, Mitchill, Trans. Lit. ccPliil. JSoc. 2Sew 

 York, I. p, 470, pi. ('), iig. o: DeKay, New York, Fauna, 

 Fish. p. ;)2o, pi. oC), fig. 185. 



— rici/JoJus, Cuv. Meni. 3Ius. i\'. p. 1"2'J, pi. i;. 



— lugivli/n-afi's, Arres. .!ourn. }>o.st. Siu-. Xat. liist. IV. 

 1S42 p. C.S. 



— /xfi'./i'^o.^"''^} DeKay, 1. c. p. '.>'l-i, pi. 55. tig. I8l. 



— ccrru tyisH.s, DeKay, 1. c. p. ;j25. })1. '>^'*, Iig. 18:1:. 



