FISHES OF NEW YORK 387 



head; the longest ray is as long as the base of the fin, the last 

 ray one third of length of snout; the fin is followed by seven 

 finlets, which are rather broader than those of the dorsal. The 

 ventral origin is directly under the origin of spinous dorsal; the 

 length of the fin is two fifths of length of head; the ventral 

 sheath is bifurcate and less than one half as long as the fin. The 

 pectoral is scarcely falcate, its length one half the length of 

 head, the fin reaching to below the 11th spine of the dorsal. 

 D. XIV to XV, II, 12-VIII; A. II, 12-VII; P. 28; V. I, 5. 



The corselet is very prominent. Its contour is defined by lines 

 at the edge of the branchial cleft, about midway between the axil 

 of the pectoral and the median line of the belly, extending below, 

 beyond, and around the extremity of the pectoral (which, when 

 normally placed, touches with its tip the outer margin of the 

 corselet), then extending beyond its tip for a distance nearly 

 equal to its length, around up into the lateral line, down which 

 a narrow tract of scales continues to its extremity, though nar- 

 rowed to a single row after passing its curve; passing the lateral 

 line, the contour of the corselet curves forward and inward, then, 

 ascending to a point distant from the median line of the back 

 about the diameter of the orbit, it follows backward in a direc- 

 tion parallel to this line, to a point opposite the posterior extrem- 

 ity of the second dorsal, where it curves upward to the median 

 line of the body, and completes its circuit. 



When viewed from above, the rows of scales appear to be 

 arranged concentrically about the origin of the first dorsal fin. 

 The scales are largest along the edges of the pectoral arch and 

 the dorsal fin, decreasing rapidly in size as they recede from 

 these regions. There are about 30 rows between the dorsal and 

 the upper margin of the pectoral, normally placed. 



The upper parts deep bluish in life; the belly and flanks below 

 lateral line, the opercles and throat pearly opalescent white; 

 the lower part of the pectoral arch and tracts at the base of the 

 ventrals and anal, as well as those parts of the opercles where 

 the bone is close to the outer skin, chalky white. The corselet 

 is bronzed brown in the alcoholic specimen. There are four dis- 



