FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 113 



length of the body is about six times that of the head, which 

 is not equal to the depth of the body ; snout short ; jaws equal ; 

 maxillars of middling width, scarcely reaching beyond the 

 centre of the eye, which is near the end of the snout, and 

 round, its iris yellow, and pupil black. Operculum parallelo- 

 gramiform, slightly oblique, and depressed at the lower edge ; 

 dorsal as high as the width of its base ; pectorals acute, 

 rather long j ventrals somewhat behind the front of the dorsal, 

 which is large and truncated ; anal long, subequal ; lateral line 

 scarcely visible ; color blue on the back, lighter at the sides, 

 and of a silver white under the abdomen, breast and tail ; 

 yellow tints are reflected from the scales upon the opercula, 

 base of the tail and fins. The blue lines are deeper towards 

 the back than the abdomen, where they disappear. 



These are salted, and taken with the seine. 



B. 7 ; D. 18 ; P. 16 ; V. 9 ; A. 18 ; C. 22 6-6 rays." 



C. minima. Peck. The Brit. 

 Belknap's History of New Hampshii*e, vol iii. p. 130. 



This pretty little species, named but not described by Peck in 

 *• Belknap's New Hampshire," is found at some seasons of the 

 year in incredible numbers upon our coast, and serves as food 

 for several other species. It varies in its length from one to four 

 inches. Back nearly black ; upper part of the sides dark green ; 

 sides silvery, with roseate and golden reflections ; in the 

 younger specimens, the dorsal ridge is a black line, and the 

 distance between it and the lateral line, which is situated very 

 high upon the sides, is of a light green sprinkled with darker 

 points. The lateral line arises upon a line with the upper 

 angle of the operculum, and runs along very near the back, 

 the length of the body. The abdominal ridge is serrated. 

 Length of the head one fourth the length of the body, gradually 

 sloping from the occiput to the snout ; top of the head darker 

 colored than the rest of the body. Gill-covers large, silvery, 

 15 



