FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 101 



From a fine specimen sent me by Dr. Yale, which was taken 

 upon Nantucket Shoals, I have drawn up the following ac- 

 count : Entire length, ten inches ; from the extremity of the 

 lower jaw to the anterior angle of the eye. one and three quar- 

 ter inches. Body quite thick, nearly of equal width and depth 

 from the pectorals to the origin of the dorsal fin. Back, for 

 the depth of a quarter of an inch, of an olive green color ; di- 

 rectly beneath this, a silvery band half an inch wide, almost 

 as strongly marked as in the " Atherines" runs the whole 

 length of the body, divided in its centre by a narrow longitu- 

 dinal line of the same color as the back. Abdomen silvery, 

 with a cupreous tinge. Head, including the jaws, three inches 

 long, quite narrow, compared with the body, of a deep green 

 color above ; gill-covers large, smooth, silvery ; jaws at their 

 origin armed with very minute teeth ; the lower jaw one quarter 

 of an inch longer than the upper ; eye one quarter of an inch 

 in diameter ; distance between the eyes, rather greater than the 

 diameter of the eye. 



The Dorsal fin, of a greenish color, is situated upon the pos- 

 terior half of the body, longer than high ; back of it, five fin- 

 lets, of the same color as the dorsal fin. 



The Pectorals are situated at the posterior angle of the oper- 

 culum, dark colored at their fleshy origin ; the rays silvery ; 

 the first ray longer and much broader than the others. 



The Ventrals are situated one inch arid a quarter in front of 

 the anal fin ; color of the abdomen ; triangular, half of an inch 

 high. 



The Anal fin commences directly opposite the dorsal, and 

 terminates upon the same plane as that fin ; between it and 

 the tail, five yellow finlets. 



The Caudal is equilobed, with transverse black lines upon 

 the rays, resembling the joints of a reed. 



On each side of the abdomen, commencing at the lower edge 

 of the gill-covers, a longitudinal furrow, which passes along 

 the whole length of the body, having between them a space 

 of a quarter of an inch, the space wider at the ventrals. 



The fin rays are as follows: D. 10; P. 14 ; V. 6 ; A. 12; 

 C. 20. 



