FAMILY SCOMBRID^ — PALINURUS. 119 



Tongue free, flattened, thin and rounded at the tip. No teeth in the pharynx. Air-bladder 

 large, double ; the anterior portion largest. 



The dorsal fin compound ; the anterior portion consists of seven short, acute, triangular, 

 spinous rays, connected with each other by a low membrane, and the whole lodged in a deep 

 groove. The first spine is above the point of the opercle. The soft portion consists of one 

 spinous and nineteen simple filiform rays, highest in front, and very gradually diminishing to 

 the last ray. The pectoral fins are placed low down, 1 ■ 5 long, and composed of twenty rays ; 

 the anterior very short, with a broad accessory plate at its inner base. Ventral very slightly 

 behind the base of the pectorals, approximated, long and pointed ; the first ray short and 

 spinous, the other branched ; the second branched ray 1 • 4 in length, and longest. Anal fin 

 with a fleshy base, including three spines ; the first two short, nearly imbedded in the flesh ; 

 the third longest, and adpressed to the first branched ray (in the plate, these are incorrectly 

 given). The soft rays are twenty in number, and end just posterior to the termination of the 

 dorsal. Caudal fin deeply emarginate, with the three external rays shorter than the fourth. 

 The scales ascend high up on the base of this fin. 



Color. When freshly taken from the water, the general color of the body and fins is a 

 bright bronze-black, with obscure reddish hues. Eyes varied with orange and yellow. 

 Abdomen light-colored. 



Length, 9-0. Of Head, 2*2. Depth, 3-0. 



Fin rays, Br. 7 ; D. 7.1 . 19 ; P. 20 ; V. 1 .5 ; A. 2.1.20; C. 21 f. 



This fish is an occasional visitor to our shores. In 1815, several dozen of these followed 

 a ship into the harbor of New- York, and one of them was taken by a hook at the wharves, 

 in the month of August. It is this which is figured by Mitchill in his Memoir on the Fishes 

 of New-York, but not accompanied with any description. On the plate it is marked Rudder- 

 fish or Perch Coryphene, and not C. hippuris, as has been erroneously stated. The description 

 was afterwards supplied by Mitchill himself, in a Supplement to his Memoir, published in 

 the American Monthly Magazine cited above. MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes were unac- 

 quainted with this description, and from the figure alone, supposed it to be their Trachinotus 

 argenteus. In this they are followed by the eminent American ichtliyologist, Dr. Storer of 

 Boston, who was equally unacquainted with Mitchill's description. Finally, Mr. I. Cozzens 

 of New-York, to whom I am indebted for an opportunity of describing this fish, not being 

 aware of Mitchill's description, described it in a paper read before the Lyceum some years 

 since, as a new species, under the name of Trachinotus cumherlandi. On a drawing of this 

 species found among the papers of Dr. Mitchill, which is now in the possession of Mr. Coz- 

 zens, it is labelled Coryphena atra, or Black Rudder-fish. 



The specimen described above, was taken by hook near Shrewsbury inlet, in July. It 

 appears now to be common enough to have received a popular name. Among the fishermen, 

 it is called the Snip-nosed Mullet. In its stomach were found numerous shrimps, and it is 

 represented as being exceedingly active. It has been noticed by Dr. Storer on the coast of 

 Massachusetts. 



