FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 115 



is because the small ponds emptying into the river have been 

 dammed up. A pond in Manchester and Chester was formerly 

 famous for its alewives. 



The following characters are presented by a specimen of 

 this species : Color on the back bluish purple ; sides a light cu- 

 preous ; beneath silvery ; on the sides, four or five, and sometimes 

 even more, indistinct greenish lines passing from the head to 

 the tail ; these lines are quite obvious when looked at from 

 either extremity of the fish, the eye being placed on a line 

 with the fish. Length of the fish to its width, about as 4 to 

 1 ; length of the head to the entire length of the body as 2 to 

 12. Depth of the body, in a specimen twelve inches long, 

 across the anterior base of the dorsal fin, three inches ; across 

 the base of the pectorals, two and a half inches ; across the 

 anus, two inches. Head small ; opercula golden, and marked 

 with beautiful arborescent ramifications. Eyes large ; pupils 

 black j irides silvery. Mouth very large. Lower jaw slightly 

 longer than the upper ; upper jaw notched in its centre. Just 

 back of the upper posterior angle of the operculum, a deep black 

 blotch. Scales on the body very large and deciduous. The 

 entire abdominal edge strongly serrated by projecting bony 

 spines ; these serrations are larger back of the ventrals, be- 

 tween them and the anus. 



The height of the Dorsal fin equal to its length. 



The width of the Pectorals at base, to the length of the fin, 

 as 4 to 12. 



The Ventrals darker colored than the abdomen, and of a mod- 

 erate size. 



The height of the first rays of the Anal fin to the length of 

 the fin, as 5 to 15. 



The Caudal fin deeply notched ; width at the base when 

 unexpanded, to the width at the extremities, as 1 to 2. 



The fin rays are as follows : D. 17 ; P. 15 ; V. 9 j A. 18 ; 

 C. 21. 



