FAMILY SCIENIDiE — UMBRINA. 79 



cular appendages, broad and truncated at their extremities, with corresponding fossae (see 

 figure). A single cirrus on the point of the lower jaw, with four pores or fossae. Teeth in 

 the upper jaw, long, acute, distant ; in the lower, short, even and crowded. 



First dorsal fin triangular, with its third ray longest and filamentous. The second dorsal 

 fin separated from the first by a brief interval ; its first ray short and spinous, the remainder 

 subequal. Pectoral fins broad and pointed, extending to the second dorsal fin, with a spurious 

 triangular plate covered by scales. A smaller one under the ventrals, which are broad and 

 rounded. Anal fin short, commencing under the eighth ray of the second dorsal, and com- 

 posed of one spinous and eight branched rays. The caudal fin excavated above, rounded 

 beneath, its upper tip pointed, and probably, in young individuals, its lower ; but in several 

 hundreds which I have examined, this portion is rounded. 



Color. Back and sides dark steel-grey, and, in certain lights, lustrous, silvery and reddish. 

 Abdomen bluish-white. In its dying struggles, the whole fish displays frequent changes of 

 beautiful colors. Irides yellow. Margin of the first dorsal deep brown. Caudal and pecto- 

 rals olive brown. Ventrals and anal yellowish. On the upper parts of the body are oblique 

 broad dark stripes, which become interrupted towards the tail. An irregular horizontal dark 

 stripe is often seen, commencing at the tips of the pectorals, and running back through the 

 tail. In dying, these stripes change from pale ash to deep black. 

 Length, 12-0. Depth, 2-5. 

 Radial formula, Br. 7; D. 10.1.25; V. 1.5; A. 1.8; C. 17 f. 



The stomach is a simple sac, filled with marine plants and the remains of crustaceous ani- 

 mals ; the pylorus with nine caecal appendages. Twenty-five vertebrse. No air-bladder. 



This fish, which is not very abundant, or at least is not captured in any very considerable 

 quantities, appears in our waters in July and August. It readily commands a high price, on 

 account of the esteem in which it is held as an article of food. Hence it derived its name of 

 King-fish from the early English colonists, who were accustomed to designate every kind of 

 excellence by this epithet. Schoepfi", in the work above cited, says, " the branchial rays three 

 " to five." Cuvier, in remarking upon this, says, " SchospfT, qui en trouvait cinq, mais qui 

 " n'osait contredire Linneus, pr^tend-il que le nombre est indetermine de trois a cinq." The 

 figure given by Catesby is execrable, and without the aid of Cuvier, would long have re- 

 mained an icthyological puzzle. 



It is exceedingly abundant on the coast of Carolina and Florida, where it is known as the 

 Whiting. The coast of New- York may be considered as its ordinary northern range, but a 

 few wander north of Cape Cod, as far as the harbor of Boston. 



EXTRA-LIMITAL. 



V. coroides. (Cuv. et Val. Vol. 5, p. 187; and pi. 72, fig. 231 of this volume.) Nine broad dusky 

 vertical bands; anal fin with two spines; lobes in front of the mouth rounded. Length 8 inches. 

 South Carolina. 



I insert this on the authority of a figure given by Dr. Holbrook, among his drawings of the 

 fishes of Carolina. 



