HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 185 



GENUS V. MERLUCIUS, Cuv. 



The head flattened ; the body elongated ; the back furnished with two dorsal fins, 

 the first short, the second long ; but one anal fin, also very long ; no barbels at the chin. 



Merlucius albidus, Dekay. 



The Whiting. 



(Plate XXVIII. Fig. 2.) 



Gadus albidus, New York Whiting, Mitch., Journ. Acad. Nat. Sciences, I. p. 409. 

 Gadus merlucius, The Hake, Mitcii., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 371. 

 Merlucius vulgaris, Ilake, Storer, Report, p. 132. 



" " " Atres, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist., iv. p. 276. 



Merlucius albidus, American ZZaie^ Deka y, Report, p. 280, pi. 46, fig. 148. 



" " Storer, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, n. p. 470. 



" " " Synopsis, p. 218. 



Color. When alive, this species is of a rusty-brown color upon the upper portion 

 of the sides, golden in the sun ; silvery beneath. Pupils black, irides with golden re- 

 flections. Dorsal and caudal fins rusty ; pectorals and ventrals fuliginous ; anal color- 

 less. The whole interior of the mouth, jaws, throat, and tongue of a beautiful purple. 

 Pupils black, irides silvery. The lateral line is lighter-colored than the upper part of 

 the body. 



Description. Body elongated, somewhat compressed in front of the anus, rounded 

 posteriorly. The length of the head is equal to one fourth the length of the body. 

 The top of the head is flattened, exhibiting depressions. The lower jaw is slightly the 

 longer. The jaws as well as the palatine bones are armed with a row of prominent, 

 sharp, incurved teeth, exterior to which is a row much smaller. Numerous teeth 

 in the pharynx. The tip or middle of the upper jaw is edentate. A deep furrow 

 exists in the suborbital- bones, extending from the side of the snout in the upper 

 jaw to the posterior portion of the preoperculum ; and beneath the lower, from the 

 chin to the outer angle of the jaw. The eyes are large and circular; their diameter is 

 equal to more than half the distance between them. The inferior portion of the gill- 

 covers is naked, the upper portion is scaly. The scales upon the top of the head are 

 smaller than those on any other part of the body. Those on the opercles are smaller 

 than those of the body. At the anterior angle of the eye, a bony process is observed ; 

 just in front of this process are situated the nostrils ; the anterior is circular, the pos- 

 terior, which is much the larger, is vertical. 



The lateral line, appearing like a smooth raised ridge, arises at the superior posterior 

 angle of the operculum, and pursues a slightly oblique course to the anterior half of 

 the second dorsal, and thence passes in a straight line to the tail. 



