HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 205 



green irregularly formed blotches, and dotted with a great number of minute white 

 spots resembling snow-flakes, the spots near the back being the largest. The fins 

 are of the color of the body. The rays of the pectoral fins are regularly spotted, 

 and present the appearance of bands ; their connecting membrane is perfectly color- 

 less and transparent. The pupils are black, the irides golden. 



Description. Body nearly orbicular, translucent. The scales are very small and 

 round. The greatest depth of the body, exclusive of the fins, is rather less than 

 half of its length. The length of the head is less than one fifth its entire length. 

 The eyes are moderate in size : the inferior is anterior. The mouth is protractile ; 

 both of the jaws are furnished with a row of minute, sharp teeth ; a patch of 

 similar teeth are situated on the vomer. The nostrils are large, the anterior tu- 

 bular : on the left, or colored side of the fish, the posterior nostril is just above 

 the anterior angle of the inferior eye, and the anterior nostril is on a line before 

 this. On the right, or colorless side, the nostrils are just below the origin of the 

 dorsal fin. 



The lateral line makes a high arch over the pectorals, whence it pursues a 

 straight course to the caudal rays. 



The dorsal fin commences on a line with the anterior nostril, above it, and is 

 continued to the fleshy portion of the tail. The ten or twelve first rays of the 

 dorsal fin are fleshy at their bases, and bifurcated just above their bases, and are 

 again subdivided into delicate slips or filaments, which make them appear at first 

 sight as if torn. The rays gradually become higher towards the centre of this fin, 

 and again diminish as they approach the tail. This fin is rounded when expanded ; 

 the tips of the rays project just beyond the connecting membrane. 



The pectorals are situated just beneath the posterior angle of the operculum ; 

 they are fan-shaped and transparent ; their rays are bifid. 



The ventrals arise at the angle of the lower jaw ; the first ray is bifid, and its 

 bifurcations are branched as in the first rays of the dorsal. The remaining rays 

 are merely bifid at their tips. 



The anus is situated at the posterior extremity of the ventrals. 



The anal fin commences directly back of the anus. It is similar in its form to 

 that of the dorsal, and is coterminal with that fin. 



The caudal fin, which is rounded when expanded, is composed of strong, broad, 

 bifid rays. 



The fin rays are scaled, with the exception of the ventrals and the anterior 

 rays of the dorsal and anal fins. 



