The Grouper Family 303 



fish don't eat niggers, no more does jellyfish eat 

 jelly. I think they are called nigger-fish 'cause 

 they is so 'andsome." 



THE SAND-FISH 

 (Diplectmm formosum) 



The sand-fish, or, as it is sometimes called, the 

 squirrel-fish, also belongs to the family Serranidce. 

 It was first described by Linnaeus, in 1 766, from 

 Dr. Garden's specimens from South Carolina ; he 

 named it formosa, or " handsome," from its pretty 

 form and coloration. It inhabits the Atlantic 

 coast from South Carolina to South America, 

 and is common to both coasts of Florida, and 

 especially about the keys. It has a rather ellip- 

 tical body in outline ; its depth is less than a third 

 of its length, being elongate and rather slender 

 as compared with other allied species. The 

 head is as long as the depth of the body, with an 

 arched profile above the eyes ; the mouth is large, 

 the lower jaw projecting a little ; the upper border 

 of the cheek-bone is serrated, with two clusters 

 of small, sharp spines ; the teeth are in narrow 

 bands ; the canine teeth are small. 



Its color is light brown above, silvery white 

 below; there are several dark and broad ver- 



