PISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 39 



the hook ; after that date, in the ponds, with spears and nets. 

 Within a few years, small numbers have appeared north of the 

 Cape, and are now yearly captured at Wellfleet and Sandwich. 

 Mr. Newcomb, Jr., fishmonger in Gluincy market, informs me, 

 that about six years since, a fishing-smack brought from New 

 Bedford a cargo of these fishes alive to Boston market : a por- 

 tion of them were purchased by subscription among the fish- 

 ermen in the market, and thrown into the harbor* the next 

 season, two specimens were caught from our wharves : in the 

 summer of 1835, one specimen was captured at Nahant, and 

 was considered a very strange fish, no specimen having been 

 known to have been seen there before : in the summer of 

 1836, Mr. Johnson, of whose kindness I have had occasion 

 frequently to speak, sent me another specimen taken at Nahant. 

 As no specimens had ever been taken so far north before, and 

 as the few taken would lead to the inference that those which 

 had been transplanted from Buzzard's Bay had not bred in 

 the cold waters of this portion of Massachusetts Bay, we are 

 led to believe the specimens, taken immediately around Boston, 

 were of the number of those originally brought from the south. 



The length of this fish is from eight to twelve inches ; 

 length of head, one fourth the length of the entire fish j depth 

 of body across from base of pectorals, equal to one third its 

 length ; width of body at base of tail, equal to one twelfth its 

 length. 



Body very much compressed at sides ; back gibbous, gradu- 

 ally curving towards tail. General color, a beautiful silvery, 

 varying with brown, reddish and blue. Abdomen white. 

 Head destitute of scales, and of a purplish color from the com- 

 mencement of the gibbosity just over the eyes, to upper and 

 outer angle of eyes on each side, and thence within a line 

 drawn from this part to the outer angle of jaws. Eyes large ; 

 irides silvery. Loioer jaw shorter than the upper. Two rows 

 of blunt teeth in back of jaws those in front, sharp and 

 prominent. Lips large and loose. Nostrils double the ante- 

 rior, smaller and circular ; the posterior, larger and vertical. 

 Preoperculum and operculum covered with scales. A large 



