HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 67 



are less deeply furrowed and ridged, appearing more like shagreen ; at the anterior 

 angle of the eye are three distinct spines. The occipital spines are not so acute as 

 in P. lineatus, but are the terminations of carinae in two arrow-shaped plates of 

 bone ; in P. lineatus, there is a small spine at the posterior angle of the eye ; in this 

 species are two elevated ridges which run posteriorly ; these ridges are not prominent 

 in the immature fish. Nostrils of moderate size ; the anterior the larger. Eyes high 

 up on the head. Sides of snout strongly serrated. Jaws armed with numerous card- 

 like teeth ; the upper jaw the longer. The lateral line, arising between the occipital 

 spine and the posterior superior edge of the operculum, is very indistinct throughout 

 its whole course, but more so at its origin, and is continued in a straight line to the 

 middle of the base of the tail. 



The first dorsal fin is situated in a deep groove. The whole anterior edge of the 

 first three rays is serrated, and the upper portion of the fourth. 



The second dorsal is nearly straight upon its margin. 



The pectorals are large, broad, rounded, and about one third the length of the body. 

 Just in front of and beneath the pectorals are three fleshy appendages, widened at 

 extremities ; the posterior the largest. The anal commences just back of, and termi- 

 nates upon the same plane with, the second dorsal. 



The caudal is lunated. 



The fin rays are as follows : D. 9 or 10 -13. P. 13 or 14> V. 6. A. 12. C. 12f 

 Length 15 to 18 inches. 



Remarks. This species is much more rare than the P. lineatus. It was well de- 

 scribed by Mitchill, who makes no mention of its infrequency in the waters of New 

 York ; but Dekay remarks, that in the course of twenty years he had not met with 

 more than six or eight specimens. As one of its names implies, it is a Southern spe- 

 cies. Individuals are not unfrequently taken in the Vineyard Sound, during the entire 

 summer, while fishing for Tautog. It is caught in deeper water than P. lineatus. 

 Dr. Yale informed me that he had eaten this species, which, when skinned and boiled, 

 is quite palatable. Occasionally this species is captured north of Cape Cod. In 

 September, 1840, I received from Captain Nathaniel Blanchard of Lynn a specimen 

 twelve inches in length, taken in a net at Green Island ; and Henry Sheafe, Esq., of 

 this city, the next year sent the Boston Society of Natural History two specimens 

 which were captured at Phillips's Point, Lynn. I have also seen two or three other 

 individuals in the market, which have been caught in Massachusetts Bay. The speci- 

 men here described is the largest of those I had the good fortune to procure while 

 on a visit at Tisbury, in August, 1846. Mr. Ayres, in his enumeration of the Fishes 



