106 FISHES OF THE EAST ATLANTIC COAST. 



with the difficulty attending a confusion of names. Every speaies 

 has its local name, and the same is often in different places given 

 to different species. For instance Megalops thrissoides in sometimes 

 called jewfish , m another locality it is called tarpom ; the first 

 name belonging to a gigantic perch, the latter to a monster herring; 

 while in a third place the name jewtish is applied to the rock- 

 grouper. 



Except the incomplete work of Dr. Holbrook on the Fishes of 

 South Carolina and Georgia, I have not been able to find anything 

 on this subject, save a catalogue by Dr. Gill, and another by Dr 

 Storer, both I think ref ering to South Carolina. Some of these spe- 

 cies are mentioned in the great work of Cuvier, of others I have 

 found no description. 



Some species which occur along the coast from Cape Cod to 

 Florida, figure under different names at almost each degree of lati- 

 tude ; such as the striped bass or rockfish, the bluefish, horse mack- 

 erel, skip jack, or tailor fish. To add to the confusion, it is the 

 fashion of late to alter the scientific names of the whole animal 

 creation. Our well known and valuable sheepshead was formerly 

 Sargus ovis ; the new school of naturalists call him Archosargus 

 probatocepalus a name long enough for a whale. Therefore, in the 

 absence of any well recognized standard names, either scientific or 

 trivial, we can only give the one in common use where the fish occur*. 



