Remarks on the Natural History of Fishes. 345 



ena Bostoniensis^^ of Le Sueur. The latter, is the species unin- 

 jured which when defaced, Dr. Smith called '• Raniceps hlen- 

 nioides,''^ it is evidently a new genus, which, from the appearance 

 of concealed spines distributed over its head, I have called " Cryp- 

 tanthodes''' — and given the specific name of " maculatus" on ac- 

 count of its mottled surface, arranging it in the family " Buccae 

 LoRicATAE, mailed cheeks.''^ 



Our writer seems to have been ignorant of the fact, that the 

 " Anarrhichas lupus^^ — " Cat fsh/^ was used as food among us. 

 Many of our fishermen prefer it to any other species. I have 

 eaten it at my own table, and should never wish a sweeter or 

 more delicate meal than that afforded by a young cat fish. It 

 is a little singular, that instead of Pennant's plate of this species 

 having been copied, which is quite good, and within the reach of 

 all, Strack's plate which is very incorrect, making the anal fin 

 to appear as high as the dorsal, should have been preferred. 



Upon page 254, " Labrus tautogd'^ should be " L. America- 

 nus ;" we read here that " the Boston market is but poorly sup- 

 plied with them ; whenever they are for sale, it seems to be the 

 result of accident." The two last years our market has been 

 glutted with them, throughout the season in which they are 

 taken. 



Upon page 259, we have a"description of the cimner, or marine 

 perch as it is often called ; and it is surprising that after the 

 author observes, " since the commencement of this little vol- 

 ume, no one species has given us more trouble and perplexity in 

 the classification than this ;" to find it arranged in a wrong genus, 

 with the sage remark, " to all appearance the perch or ctmner is 

 the tautog in miniature ; and if it were black it would be sup- 

 posed to be the young of that fish !" And this too, while the 

 preoperculum of the former is strongly denticulated throughout, 

 and the edge of that of the latter is perfectly smooth ! 



Among the " Lahroides,''^ we also find the " squetee" arranged 

 as a " Labriis,^' instead of being placed in the family " Scietioi- 

 des^^ — genus " Otolithusy 



Upon page 263, Dr. Smith probably refers to the " Ceniro- 

 pristis nigricans" when he speaks of the " Perca varia." 



The next eleven pages are occupied with descriptions of nine 

 species, neither of which is found in Massachusetts. We have 



Vol. XXXVI, No. 2.— April-July, 1839. 44 



