72 

 CIIILOMYCTERUS, Bibroii. 



C. geometricus. 



The Spiny Box Fish. 



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

 whole surface, except chin and tail, covered Avitli sharj), re- 

 curved, triangular, compressed spines, each with a three 

 pointed base, the upper ones larger than the lower, those 

 over the eyes quite prominent. (This species possesses the 

 property of puthng itself up into a globular ball, and can 

 tloat in this state on the surface.) Bright sea-green above, 

 with longitudinal, olive-brown, irregiilar stripes on the back, 

 and upper part of the sides, and obli(|ue stripes below the 

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

 Abdomen whitish. Length, 5 to 7 inches. 



Fin-rays:— D. 13; P. 24; A. 12; C. 9. 



C. (jeomefricm, (Guenther VIII, p. olO.) 



JDiodon geometricus, Bl. Schn. p. 513, fig. DO. 



— maculato s(riatus, Mitchell, Trans. Lit. c^- Phil. Soc. NeA\- 

 York, I, p. 470, pi. (5, tig. 3; DeKay, New York, Fauna, 

 Fish, p. 323, pi.' 50, fig. 185. 



— rivulains, Cuv. ^lom. Mus. IV, \). 129, pi. 6. 



— mgrolineafns, xVvres. Journ. Bost. Soc. Xat. Hist. IV, 

 1842, p. 68. 



— fiiliginosus, DeKay, 1. c. p. 324, pi. ^5, fig. 181. 

 - — 'verrucosus, DeKay, 1. c. p. 325, pi. 5G, fig. 184. 



Not uncommon along the coast, entering the bays; only 

 met with in summer, never in cold weather; sometimes com- 

 mon in Worcester county. 



Acad. Coll. S. I. 



l^RIC'HODIODOX, Block. 



T. pilosus. 



The Hairy Box Fish. 



Form oval, a little flattened above, inflated. The spines 

 are hair-like, one-eighth of an inch long in an example 11- 

 inch long. The large specimen in the Paris Museum (2| 

 feet long,) is covered with round, brown spots. 



f fn-rays:— D. 12; P. 20; A. 14; C. 9. 



T.pihsus, (Guenther YIIT, p. 31G.) 



