196 FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



is taken in deep water attached to pieces of drift wood, and the 

 bottoms of boats and vessels. In its spawning season, it as- 

 cends the numerous rivers. It is taken in large quantities in 

 the Merrimack river, at Lowell. Dr. Elisha Bartlett writes me 

 that " they ascend the rivers a little earlier than the shad, and 

 move mostly in the night. It is not known, by the fishermen, 

 when they return, as they are never seen. There is a notion 

 that they all die. They are often seen, in the summer, in 

 pairs, at work together, constructing a little mound of stones. 

 They build this about three feet in diameter at the base, and 

 about two feet high, of stones from the size of an ounce bullet 

 to that of the fist. They often aid each other in carrying the 

 same stone. This is pretty evidently a labor of love, as they 

 copulate once in five minutes, or so, during the whole time. 

 The young go down the river, when the water begins to 

 freeze. They are then from six to eight inches long." 



It occasionally attains the weight of four pounds. From 

 a beautiful specimen 27 inches in length, brought me by Capt. 

 Samuel Andrews of Charlestown, the following description is 

 drawn up : 



Co]or, olive brown ; all the upper portion of the body, mot- 

 tled with dark brown, almost black, confluent patches ; be- 

 neath, of an uniform dull olive. Anterior portion of the body, 

 cylindrical ; posterior, compressed. A slight keel upon the 

 back. Head rounded, somewhat flattened on the upper por- 

 tion in front of the eyes. Eyes, moderate in size ; pupils, 

 black ; irides, golden. Distance of the eyes from the snout, 

 two inches. A tubular orifice is seen in front of, between 

 the eyes, a line in its longest diameter. Seven large branchial 

 apertures back of each eye, passing backward in nearly a 

 straight line ; the first, smallest. When this species is unat- 

 tached, the mouth is a longitudinal fissure. When attached, 

 it is circular, the lip forming a ring ; within, furnished with 

 hard, horny teeth, of a yellow color. Teeth on the roof, larger 

 than those upon the sides of the mouth ; lower margin of the 

 mouth furnished with a semicircular row of compact teeth ; 

 teeth on the lip, small ; mucous pores obvious in front of the 



