



IV. 



A History of the Fishes of Massachusetts. 

 BY DAVID HUMPHREYS STOEER, M. D., A. A. S. 



As one of the Commissioners on the Zoology of Massachusetts, in the year 1839, 

 I prepared a Report on the Ichthyology of the State. From the brief time occupied in 

 its preparation, it was necessarily imperfect, and, not being accompanied by figures, 

 was comparatively useless, except to scientific men. Since the appearance of that 

 communication, much information has been obtained respecting several of the most 

 common and valuable fishes, and quite a number of new species have been ascertained 

 to exist in our waters. 



Having carefully re-described all the species, I trust the following paper will present 

 an accurate history of the fishes of our State. Considering this as the completion of my 

 former Report, I have kept in view the primary object of the commission, to ascer- 

 tain the value of our Fauna in an economical point of view, rather than to prepare 

 labored scientific descriptions. 



To all who have aided me since this paper was commenced, or rather since my 

 attention was first directed to our ichthyology, I would return my grateful acknowledg- 

 ments. The following gentlemen, to whom in my previous Report I remarked I 

 was under peculiar obligations, I cannot pass by unnoticed : 



Thomas Kidder, Esq., of the General Inspection Office, Boston, for his polite 

 attention in furnishing me with all the statistical information in his power regarding 

 the quantities of fish inspected in the State ; 



C. R. Vickery, Esq., of Taunton, for his very acceptable remarks respecting the 

 fisheries of Taunton River ; 



Hiram Hosmer, M. D., of Watertown, for his numerous and valuable facts con- 

 cerning the fisheries of Charles River; 



VOL. V. NEW SERIES. 8 



