9370 Fishes. 
the season, they had in no way increased in bulk, as compared with 
those we took in the spring. From this most important and most 
opportune circumstance, too, it is now our firm and decided belief 
that their average length does not exceed an inch. We have taken 
specimens a little larger. It would seem that they are a deep water 
fish, and, herring-like, only visit the shore occasionally. Like that 
fish, too, they are gregarious, that is they go in small shoals, and, if 
we are allowed to speak from experience and from what we have seen, 
we must say that they are the fleetest, most active and most vigilant 
of all the finny tribes. Should any one be inclined to doubt this, 
they will perhaps give us a little more credit when we tell them 
that, besides what we observed in the sea itself, we kept a number of 
them alive beside us for some time, placed in the window before which 
we worked, so that we had the pleasure of observing their habits at our 
leisure, that is, so far as anything of that kind can be done within a 
limited compass, and were well repaid for our time and patience. 
Our little fish has the back of a pea-green colour, diversified with 
numerous and very minute roundish spots, or rather specks, of a darker 
colour; sides and belly ofa pure silvery white, and having a bright 
metallic lustre. The fins also are mostly white, save a portion of the 
pectoral at its base, which is of a greenish yellow, and a part of the 
ventral, which at its extremity is black. The head is short, flat above, 
and slightly compressed. The eye, which is large, partakes in a great 
measure of the colours of the fish itself, with this addition,—that in 
certain lights it has the appearance of having a tinge or shade of a 
purplish green, red and blue. The dorsal, which commences a little in 
advance of the end of the pectoral, stretches, along with the anal, to 
within a very little of the caudal, both ending on aline. The pectoral 
is broad, narrowing towards its tip, and, with the ventral, commences 
close to the head, and almost close to each other. This last fin, the 
ventral, is a most remarkable and peculiar one, being very long and 
narrow, equalling nearly half the length of the animal; when closed 
reaching beyond the vent, and consequently beyond the commence- 
ment of the anal. The caudal or tail fin is rather square. The lateral 
line, which consists of a slight depression, is straight. As to barbules 
or any citrosities, we can see none. 
Had the chin fin been here, the ventral been placed on the side, 
and the side fin, the pectoral, where it is, we would have had as fine 
a picture as possibly could have been of a flying fish in miniature. 
The semblance between that genus and this little thing, save the 
