182 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
has skinny tufts over the eyes, which are wanting in the latter. Yet 
the Blennius serpentinus has a very elongated form and no superciliary 
tufts, and the Pholis subbifurcatus has also an elongated form, and 
therefore no resemblance to a true Pholis. In fact the two species 
belong to a different family from Slennius and Polis, and are related 
to each other. They are the sticheids now named Leptoblennius ser- 
pentinus and Humesogrammus subbifurcatus. 
The want of appreciation of the value of words as well as of natural 
relations was also manifested in the treatment of the flat-fishes. Cuvier 
had divided the typical pleuronectids into three genera, or, as he called 
them, subgenera: Platessa, distinguished by a row of obtuse trenchant 
teeth on the jaws; //ippoglossus, having strong pointed teeth, and 
Rhombus, including the turbots. While professedly adopting these 
genera, he referred to Patessa several species (dentata, oblonga, qua- 
drocellata), which are really more nearly allied to the halibut and Euro- 
pean species associated with that fish. Cuvier had not referred to the 
American species, and Storer had consequently to do for himself. 
The last genus that requires attention is Carcharias. The part of 
the History referring to it was published in 1867. As early as 1841 
Miiller and Henle had published their great work on plagiostomes and 
the sharks of the American coasts had long been referred to their 
proper genera; but all the labor was lost, so far as Storer was con- 
cerned. Four species were referred by him to the genus. Only one 
(obscurus) has the characters assigned in the diagnosis. One (griseus) 
is an Odontaspis, another (vulpes) an Alopias, and the fourth (atwood?) 
is the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). It will be thus 
seen that his four species of Carcharias belong to four families of 
Miiller and Henle and most modern systematists. 
If we examine his descriptions we too often find that while they fill 
every requisite as to length, there is too much perfunctory verbiage 
and too little precision. For example, the ‘‘ form” of the striped bass, 
as well as of ‘‘ the Spanish mackerel” (Scomber dekayi or colias), is said 
to be ‘‘eylindrical,” while the common mackerel is claimed to have 
the ‘‘ body elongated.” Now there is really no difference in form 
between the two mackerels”, and that form is as nearly fusiform as 
any fish can have. Anyone who knows what a cylinder is would be 
so misled by Storer’s description that he would be precluded from 
identifying the striped bass from the description—if he relied on it. 
The mackerels are certainly elongated, but so is an eel and so also is a 
hairtail. It is evident, therefore, that the unqualified adjective is alto- 
gether too vague and meaningless. These examples of the want of 
precision and misuse of terms must suflice. 
Another feature which may excite the surprise of the new student 
ain his Report (p. 46) Storer attributed to ‘‘Scomber colias” a “form clongated, very round and 
plump,” and omitted all mention of the form of “ Scomber vernalis.”’ The italics are Storer’s. 
