98 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



small, with thick fleshy lips concealing the fine bristly teeth, which are arranged in six or 

 eight contiguous series. A row of eight minute apertures under the chin. The opercle has 

 a slight rounded prominence on its margin. 



The dorsal fin is divided into two portions : the first consists of nine spines, commencing 

 at the highest point of the back ; the first two spines very short, and nearly concealed ; the 

 third 1  7 long, with a filament nearly as long as the spine ; the others are very small, and 

 the last is closely applied to the second dorsal fin. This latter fin is triangular, with its mar- 

 gin excavated and nearly vertical ; the three first rays are simple, the remaining twenty-two 

 branched ; the fifth and sixth longest ; the others rapidly diminishing in length. Pectorals 

 short, somewhat oval, and placed about one-fourth of the distance between the abdomen and 

 back. Ventrals of one spinous and five soft rays ; the first soft ray filamentous, reaching to 

 the anal fin, with a long accessory plate at its base. Anal opposite to, and similar in shape 

 and size with the soft dorsal ; it has three concealed spines, of which the first is shortest. 

 Caudal lunate. 



Color. Brownish, with six broad vertical dusky bluish bands : one through the eye ; the 

 second over the base of the pectorals ; the third, from the spinous part of the dorsal, is nar- 

 row, and scarcely descends below the lateral line ; the fourth passes from the latter part of 

 the spinous portion of the dorsal, to similar parts in the anal fin, and is irregularly dilated 

 beneath ; the next passes from the posterior part of the soft dorsal to corresponding parts in 

 the anal ; the last band passes over the base of the tail. 



Length, 7-2. Depth, 4-2. 



Fin rays, D. 9.3.22; P. 18; V. 1.5; A. 3.18; C. 16. 



Linneus undoubtedly included this species with his Chetodon triostegus, which, however, 

 belonged to another genus. In applying the name oi faber, Cuvier and Valenciennes adopted 

 the prior name given by Sloane ; and hence the C. oviformis of Mitchill, which preceded 

 that given by the above mentioned writers, becomes a synonime. They were not aware, at 

 the time of publication, of the existence of Mitchill's name or description. 



The geographical range of this species is very great, extending from Rio Janeiro to New- 

 York. In our waters, it only appears periodically, and occasionally in great numbers during 

 the summer months. About twenty years since they were caught here in seines in great 

 numbers, and exposed in the markets for sale. Some of them were eighteen inches long. 

 Those described by Mitchill were captured in 1815 and 1817. The popular names of Three- 

 tailed Sheepshead, and Three-tailed Porgee, were given them by the fishermen in allusion to 

 their prolonged dorsal and anal fin. They appear to be much larger than those described by 

 Cuvier. SchoepfF states that it is called Avgel-fish in Carolina. 



