262 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



The ventrals are strongly marked, both the spine and filamentary ray, situated an- 

 teriorly to pectorals. 



The anal commences about on median line, connected with caudal by a low mem- 

 brane, and is of nearly equal height throughout. First two rays spinous, the anterior 

 the stouter. Its posterior rays longer than corresponding ones of dorsal. 



The caudal is quite large, circular when expanded. 



Length, eight inches. 



The fin rays are as foUows : D. 76. P. 12. V. I. 1. A. II. 41. C. 20. 



Remarks. The specimen from which I have drawn the above description was taken 

 alive, in 1848, by Mr. Girard, from a sand-pool on Chelsea Beach at low tide. It is the 

 only specimen of which I have knowledge, and has since been in the possession of 

 Professor Agassiz, from whom I have it. Its specific value was detected by Mr. Girard 

 while comparing the Labrador species of my son, Gunnellus ingens, with the mucro- 

 natus of our own shores. It most nearly resembles the former, of which there is an 

 accurate and beautiful plate in Vol. VI. of the Boston Journal of Natural History, 

 but is clearly distinct from both. 



" Its size is nearly that of G. ingens, and is consequently much greater than that of 

 the average G. mucronatus. It differs from G. ingens in having a proportionally 

 larger head, whence a larger mouth and larger teeth. These last are longer than those 

 of G. ingens ; their tip is club-shaped in both. Profile of head very convex above 

 eyes, whereas in G. ingens the convexity of the head is in advance of the eyes, thus 

 giving to it a more rounded appearance. Body more compressed than that of G. 

 ingens ; height also greater. Lateral line straighter than in that species. The vent, 

 placed under the thirty-fifth dorsal ray, is at an equal distance from the snout and the 

 tip of the caudal, whilst it is a little farther back in G. ingens, and rather nearer the 

 head in G. mucronatus. 



" The dorsal and anal are much higher than in either G. ingens or mucronatus. The 

 dorsal begins a little farther back than in G. ingens. The pectorals are larger ; their 

 tip reaching beyond a line with the seventh dorsal spine. 



" The rays of the anal show the remarkable peculiarity of having at their anterior 

 and convex margin several small rays converging in an acute angle from the tip to the 

 third or half of the length of the principal ray itself, in imitation on a small scale of 

 the finlets of Scomber and Polypterus, with this difference, however, that in these last 

 the additional small rays are on the posterior margin. In G. ingens these rays are di- 

 chotomized ; in G. mucronatus they are simple." 



The ventrals also are larger and placed more anteriorly than in the G. ingens. 



Massachusetts, GIRARD. 



