440 



VERTEBRATA. 



Genus LEI08T0MUS: Leiostomus. — Tliis includes the Sea-Chub or Lafayette, Z. obUquus, 

 six to oii;ht iiiclu's loiiij; tlfliciotis for tlio tivblo; coiiiinon on our southern coast. 



(t'lints OToIjITIH'S: OtolilhuH. — Tliis iiichules the Weak Fish or Squeteaugue, O.regalis, 

 one to two feet loni;, sometimes \veii;liin<jj thirty poumls ; it is tolerable food, and is much angled 

 for on our const s ; found tVoui tiie Mississippi to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



Gninx (.'OIJNINA : Corriiia. — '!".> this helongs the Lake Siieep's-IIead, C. oscula, twelve to 

 oiijhtecn inches loni; ; is indiH'ercnt food; found in Lake Erie. 



The BuANOKn (\)rvina, C. occlldld, one to three feet long, is a hcautifid species, and highly 

 relished; found on our Atlantic coiust. At the South it is called Bass, at New Orleans, iJerf 

 f'isfi . 



The Malasiieoany, C. Richardsonii, is one to two feet long: common in Lake Huron, where 

 it is greatly prized for food, and where it is called Black Sheep's-IIkad. 



Gniiis rMl'dilXA: Umhrina. — This includes the Bearded Umhkina, U. vvlt/aris, two to 

 three feet long, and sometimes weighing forty pounds; the flesh is white and good : common on 

 the coasts of France, Spain, and Italy. The King-Fish, U. nebulosa, sometimes called the Ber- 

 miiiia W/iitino, is twelve to eighteen inches long; found along our coasts; abundant at the south. 



Genus POGOXLVS : Por/onias. — To this belongs the Big Drum, P. chromis, two to four feet 

 long, and sometimes weighing a hundred and twenty-five pounds ; the young are delicate food, the 

 old are coarse ; found on the coast from New York to Florida. 



There are several other American genera of the family Scicenidce. 



THE SPARID^. 



This family includes several valuable species, European and American, all living in the sea. 

 Genus CURYSOPIIRYS : Chrysophnjs. — This includes the Gilt-IIead, C. aurata, twelve 



inches long; abundant in the Mediter- 

 ranean, and found on the coasts of Africa 

 and Europe, from France to the Cape of 

 Good Hope. It frequents deep water on 

 bold rocky coasts, and is occasioually 

 taken both by nets and lines. 



The Aculeated Gilt-Head, C.aculeata, 

 is twelve to twenty-four inches long; found 

 on our coast. 



Genus PAGRUS: Pagrus.—To this 

 belong the Braize or Becker, P. vul- 

 garis, very voracious ; found in the Euro- 

 pean seas; and the Big Porgee, P. argyrops, eight to twelve inches long; of excellent flavor, 

 and common from Cape Cod to Charleston. 



,///. G^mws PAGELLUS : Pagellus. — 



This includes the Sea-Bream, P. 

 centrodontus. — This feeds on fish as 

 Avell as sea-weed ; it is not much es- 

 teemed for eating; common in the 

 European seas. 



Genus CANTHARUS: Cantha- 

 rus. — This includes the Black- 

 Bream, C. griseus, twelve to fifteen 

 inches long, feeding like the pre- 

 ceding: found in the European seas. 

 Genus SARGUS : ^ary«s.— This 

 includes the Sheep's Head, S. ovis, 

 one to three feet long, of a dull silvery color on the sides, with brassy tints on the back ; 

 derives its name from the resemblance of the mouth and teeth to those of a sheep. It is 



THE GILT-HEAD. 



THE BRAIZE. 



