FAMILY SC0MI5RID.E BLEPIIAKIS. 123 



and tlie base of the caudal. Pectorals one-sixlli of the wliole length, and with nineteen ravf^. 

 Anal fin long and low, with two spines before it. Candal deeply forked. 



Color. Greenish blue on the back ; yellowish along the lateral line, and on the caudal fin ; 

 silvery white on the throat, and belly whitish. A smutty oblong spot under each eye, and a 

 dark spot on the margin of the opercle. Dorsals brownish. About twelve black points along 

 the unarmed portion of the lateral line. 



Length, 8-0- 8. Depth, 2-0. 

 Fin rays, D. 10.7.21 + i; P. 1ft; V. 5; A. 2.9.2.5 + i; C. 19, according to Mitchill. 

 D. 8.1.31 +i; P.—; V. 1.5; A. 2. 1.27+ i; C. —, according to Cuvier. 



M. Cuvier supposes his C. punctatits to be identical with the fish figured by Mitchill under 

 the erroneous name of »S. hippos. He declares the figure of Mitchill to be a perfect resem- 

 blance of his species. I have given a copy of this figure. If they are identical, we must 

 suppose great carelessness in the description given by Mitchill in his enumeration of the fin 

 rays. It has a range from the Caribbean sea to New-York. 



GENUS BLEPHARIS. Cuvier. 



S/yiall and nearly concealed spines in advance of t/ie dorsal fin. Anterior rai/s oj the dorsal 

 and anal fin prolo7}ged into v en/ long fdaments. Ventrals elongated. Body murk corn- 

 pressed, trenchant, v-ith a ntpidli/ declivous front. 



THE HAIR-FINNED BLEPHARIS. 



BleI-HARIS CRINITUS. 

 PL.\TE XXV. FIG. rC. 

 Zevs crinltvs, Hmr-finncd Dori/. Akekly, Am. Juur. So. &c. Vol. 11, p. 144, plate. 



Characteristics. Body almost orbicular, not trapezoidal. Bluish above; white beneath. 

 Length 5 to 6 inches. 



Description. Body much compressed, acute on its edges, with a brilliant skin not covered 

 with scales. Lateral line unarmed, with a broad curve about the pectoral fins, and thence 

 straight to the tail. Eyes very large. Suborbital finely serrate. Teeth in both jaws, 

 minute and acute ; the lower jaw projecting. Dorsal fin with seven filamentous and eleven 

 bifid rays ; the first ray twelve inches long, the other six successively shorter, the bifid portion 

 low and sube((ual. Pectorals falciform, and composed of seventeen rays. Ventrals long^ 

 narrow and pointed. Anal fin with five filamentous rays, varying from 4 to 6 inches in length ; 

 the remaining eleven rays low, subequal. Caudal deeply furcate. 



Color. Bluish above, shining white beneath. 



Length, 5-5. Depth, ;V8. 



Fin rays, D. 18 ; P. 17 ; V. — ; A. 10 : C. — . 



