FAMILY SCOMBRID.E BLEPHARIS. 123 



and ihe base of the caudal. Pectorals one-sixth of the whole length, and with nineteen rays. 

 Anal fin long and low, with two spines before it. Caudal deeply forked. 



Coloi: Greenish blue on the back ; yellowish along the lateral line, and on the caudal fin ; 

 silvery white on the throat, and belly whitish. A smutty oblong spot under each eye, and a 

 dark spot on the margin of the opercle. Dorsals brownish. About twelve black points along 

 the unarmed portion of the lateral line. 



Length, 8-0-8. Depth, 2 ■ 0. 

 Fin rays, D. 10.7.21 + i; P. 19 ; V. 5 ; A. 2.9.25 + i ; C. 19, according to Mitchill. 

 D. 8.1.31 + i; P.—; V. 1.5; A. 2. 1.27+ i; C. —, according to Cuvier. 



M. Cuvier supposes his C. jntnctatus to be identical with the fish figured by Mitchill under 

 the erroneous name of ^. hippos. He declares the figure of Mitchill to be a perfect resem- 

 blance of his species. I have given a copy of this figure. If they are identical, we must 

 suppose great carelessness in the description given by Mitchill in his enumeration of the fin 

 rays. It has a range from the Caribbean sea to New-York. 



GENUS BLEPHARIS. Cuvier. 



Small and nearly concealed spines in advance of the dorsal Jin. Anterior rays of the dorsal 

 and anal Jin prolonged into very long f laments. Ventrals elongated. Body much com- 

 pressed, trenchant, ivith a rapidly declivous front. 



THE HAIR-FINNED BLEPHARIS. 



BLEPHARIS CRINITUS. 

 PLATE XXV. FIG. 76. 

 Zetis crimlus, Hair-finned Dory. Akerlv, Am. Jour. Sc. &c. Vol. 11, p. 144, plate. 



Characteristics. Body almost orbicular, not trapezoidal. Bluish above ; white beneath. 

 Length 5 to 6 inches. 



Description. Body much compressed, acute on its edges, with a brilliant skin not covered 

 w'nh scales. Lateral line unarmed, with a broad curve about the pectoral fins, and thence 

 straight to the tail. Eyes very large. Suborbital finely serrate. Teeth in both jaws, 

 minute and acute ; the lower jaw projecting. Dorsal fin with seven filamentous and eleven 

 bifid rays ; the first ray twelve inches long, the other six successively shorter, the bifid portion 

 low and subequal. Pectorals falciform, and composed of seventeen rays. Ventrals long^ 

 narrow and pointed. Anal fin with five filamentous rays, varying from 4 to 6 inches in length ; 

 the remaining eleven rays low, subequal. Caudal deeply furcate. 



Color. Bluish above, shining white beneath. 



Length, 5 "5. Depth, 3 '8. 



Fin rays, D. 18 ; P. 17 ; V. — ; A. 16 ; C. — . 



