10 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



Description. Body deep, compressed. Dorsal outline somewhat gibbous. Head small, 

 with a sloping facial outline. Nostrils double, the posterior much the largest. Scales den- 

 ticulate; all minutely punctured. Lateral line distinct, and nearly concurrent with the dorsal 

 outline. Scales on the suborbital and opercle. Preopercle serrate on its posterior and inferior 

 margins. Opercle with a flat acute point beneath, and a more obtuse one above, separated from 

 each other by a deep emargination ; its edge membranous. A deep straight suture behind 

 the orbit. Upper jaw protractile ; a band of minute teeth on the lower jaw and intermaxil- 

 laries. Tongue subacute, punctate with black, smooth in the centre and at the tip ; a band 

 of velvet-like teeth on the sides. The two dorsals connected by a slight membrane. The 

 first dorsal composed of stout spines, more or less curved ; the first very short, the second 

 twice its length, and the third still longer ; the fourth and fifth longest of all. The second 

 dorsal longer than high ; the first ray straight, spinous, about two-thirds of the length of 

 the next branched rays : the form of this fin is quadrangular, the rays diminishing very 

 gradually in length to the last. Pectorals broad ; the upper rays longest. Ventrals in advance 

 of the origin of the first dorsal ; its first ray stoutly spinous. Anal fin with three spines, the 

 first of which is very short, and capable of being directed forwards. Caudal fin deeply 

 emarginate. 



Color. Dark bluisli above, with a reddish hue over the whole, fading into yellowish or 

 orange on the sides. Head with brilliant metallic reflections. Lips and chin rosaceous. The 

 base of the pectorals dark brown, the fins themselves being yellowish. Ventrals reddish at 

 their bases ; the remaining fins brown. 



Length, 8-0- 10-0. Depth, 2-0-3-0. 



Fins, D. 9.1.12; P. 15; V. 1.5; A. 3.10; C. 17 §. 



This is a very common fish in our markets during the winter months, and early in the 

 spring. They come into our markets from New-Jersey and Long Island, where they are 

 obtained in brackish streams. Dr. Akerly, in his economical history of the fishes sold in 

 the New- York markets, states that it is only fit for chowder. I have very little doubt but that 

 is the species described by Schcepff'; and as his memoir on the fishes of New- York is not 

 easily attainable in this country, and has never been translated, the following notice of this 

 species may be acceptable to our ichthyologists. 



" Perca — Perch, River Perch at New-York. 

 " Head sloping ; front scaly. Nostrils two, the largest near the inner angle of the eye. Eyes 

 yellow. Upper jaw movable ; the under somewhat projecting. In both jaws, and in the fore part of 

 the palate, are small bristly teeth. Tongue oblong, triangular, rounded at the point, and rough on both 

 edges. Gill covers scaly ; the upper dentate on its margin. Br. rays 7. Body compressed, oblong, 

 and broadest between the first rays of the dorsal and the ventrals. Back brown, changing to blue and 

 green. Belly white and shining. The imder lip, throat, gill membranes (often the pectoral and anal) 

 red : this is occasioned by the blood shining through the tender membrane. Tail trifurcate. Ventrals 

 placed at the extremity of the breast bone. Lateral line straight. All the scales fringed on their mar- 

 gins (ciliatEe). Dorsals two. D. 9.13; P. 15; V. 1.6; A. 3.12; C. 18. 



