FAMILY ATHERINID.'E — ATHERINA. 143 



Longth five inches. 



Fill rays, U. 5.1 .9 ; P. 15 ; V. 1 .5 ; A. 1 .'25 ; C. 19. 



I am uiiac([uaintcd with tliis species, and insert it on the aiilliDvity ol Cuvier and ^'alen- 

 ciemies, who received it from New-York. For the figure, I liavc been indebted to Dr. Hol- 

 brook. It appears to be widely different from tlie preceding, by the distance of tlie dorsals 

 apart ; by the position of the second dorsal, which is far from being cotcrminal w'ith the anal ; 

 by the more deeply excavated or cresccut-shapcd caudal, ami by other particulars cited 

 above. 



I make a reference to Peck with much doubt. " This little fish," he says, " is called by 

 " Linneus, Athcrina menidiu, pinna ani radiis 24. It is four inches long, is scmitransparent, 

 " and has a broad silvery line extending from the opening of the gills to the insertion of the 

 " tail. The tail is forked ; the iris silvery ; the back is marked in diamonds by dotted lines. 

 " It is found in great numbers in the river Piscataqua, in the months of August and Septem- 

 " ber. It feeds on minute aquatic insects of the moiiocidus kind, and is preyed upon by 

 " various fishes as well as by shelldrakcs." 



The Green Silverside, Athcriitu viridesccns of Mitchill, is evidently to me a young and 

 mutilated specimen of this species. With regard to the Athcrina mordax, or large Silverside 

 of the same author, there is more difliculty. From its dental armature and adipose dorsal, 

 it cannot be arranged in this family. In his Report in part, he states that " it may be A. 

 " hrouuiii ; if it be so considered, we shall know it better for the future." I am not acquainted 

 with the species here referred to, but have no doubt that the inurdax is the true Os/neriis of 

 the family Salmonidffi. I am disposed to believe that my late venerable friend has, by mis- 

 take, ajDplied the description of Oxmci-iis epcrlanus to this species. 



{EXTRA-LIMITAL. ) 



A. Carolina. (Cuv. ot Val. Vol. 10, p. 445.) Snout pointed. Height to its total length, as one to 

 sLx and three-quarters. D. 8.1.12; A. 1.16. Leng-th four inches. South-Carolina. 



