224 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



of the body, save the chin and the space between the dorsal and the caudal fins, and 

 the anal and caudal, roughened by innumerable small spines. The greatest depth 

 of the body when collapsed is one fourth the length of the body; when inflated, 

 its greatest depth is one third the length of the body ; the greatest width of the 

 fish is equal to one third its length. The length of the head is nearly one third 

 the length of the body. The eyes are large, and horizontally oval. The distance 

 between the eyes is equal to their longest diameter. The nostrils are situated just 

 in front of the eyes, and are furnished with a fleshy filament. The jaws are stout 

 and equal. 



No lateral line is observable. 



The fan-shaped dorsal fin arises just in advance of the anal fin. The first ray is 

 the shortest, the third ray the longest of the fin. 



The pectorals are subquadrangular. 



The anal fin is rather smaller than the dorsal. 



The caudal fin is nearly even at its extremity. 



The fin rays are as follows : — D. 6 - 8. P. 15. A. 6, 7, 8. C. 6, 7. 



Length, six to fourteen inches. 



Remarks. This species is known by the names of Swell-fish, Bellows-fish, and Puffer, 

 from its power of inflating itself with air. It is found along our entire coast. It 

 is common at Nahant, and is sometimes taken from the bridges leading from Bos- 

 ton. At Manimsha Creek, in Chilmark, it exists in great numbers. When taken 

 with the hook it is collapsed, but almost immediately inflates itself: this inflation 

 is readily induced by scratching its abdomen. 



Massachusetts, Storer. Connecticut, Linsley, Ayres. New York, Mitchill, 

 Dekay. 



Tetrodon l^vigatus, Linn. 



The Smooth Pilfer. 



(Plate XXXIV. Fig. 1.) 



Tetraodon Imvigatus, Lin., Syst. Nat., p. 41 1 . 



" " Shaw, Gen. Zoiil., v. p. 446. 



Tamboril, Parra, p. 37, pi. 19. 



Tetraodon loivigatus, Brown Globe-Fish, Mitch., Report on the Fishes of New York, p. 28. 

 Tetraodon mathemalicus, Mathematical Tetraodon, Mitch., Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of New York, i. p. 474, pi. 6, fig. 6. 



« " " " Storer, Supplement to Rep. Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist, iv. p. 183. 



Tetraodon lozvigatus, Lineated Puffer, Dekay, Report, p. 329, pi. 56, fig. 182. 



" " " " Storer, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, ii. p. 493. 



" " " " " Synopsis, p. 241. 



Color. Of a deep olive-green color above ; the sides are silvery ; the inferior por- 

 tion of the body is white. Pupils black, irides golden. 



