SCIENID^. 209 



The body is long, slender and compressed ; head convex above the 

 syes, the scales moderate-sized, oval, covering the head and gill-covers ; 

 the lateral line is slightly curved ; the eyes large ; maxillaries, inter- 

 maxillaries, and pharyngeals minutely toothed. 



The first dorsal fin is triang;ular, and longer than it is hiq;h, of eiQ:ht 

 weak spines ; between this and the second dorsal is a single weak 

 spine. The second dorsal has twenty-eight soft rays, the pectorals 

 have eighteen soft rays, the ventrals one spine and five soft rays, the 

 anal thirteen, and the caudal seventeen rays. 



Of this fish there are two distinct varieties, the Otolithus Caroli- 

 neiisis, also misnamed Trout, which is bluer on the back than the 

 Common Weak-Fish, and is spotted rather than striated ; and the 

 Otolithus Drummondi, a smaller species found at New Orleans. 



The Common Weak-Fish is taken with the hook and reel of all 

 sizes, from a few ounces up to seven or eight pounds, and it is posi- 

 tively asserted even up to thirty, but I have never seen a specimen 

 approaching to such dimensions. 



