FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. . 143 



The most careless observer would readily distinguish this 

 from the '' Pleiironectes dentatus,^^ of Mitchell, by its small 

 mouth, fleshy lips, closely set teeth, and arched lateral line. 



It more nearly resembles the " limanda,''^ Lin. than any other 

 species ; so great indeed is its similarity that a minute exam- 

 ination is necessary to decide its difference. In its color ; the 

 number of its fin rays ; its general size ; the curved lateral line ; 

 size of the mouth ; ridge between the eyes, and several other 

 minor particulars, it agrees pretty well with the description in 

 the books of that species. But in other characters equally 

 important, it difl!"ers. The " limanda'' is very rough on its sur- 

 face ; our fish is perfectly smooth. The color of the former, an 

 uniform pale brown ; of the latter, a rusty color with spots of 

 a deeper brown in the recent specimen ; in the former, the 

 teeth are separated ; in the latter, they are very close to each 

 other, striking when the mouth is closed, upon each other's 

 tops ; the length of the pectorals of the former, is nearly two 

 thirds the length of the head ; in the latter, it is one line only 

 more than one fourth the length of the head. If we can judge 

 from the figure of the "limanda'^ in "YajTelPs British Pishes, ^^ 

 (and the figures generally are exceedingly accurate,) its dorsal 

 fin commences back of the eye ; in the '• ferriiginca,'' it com- 

 mences over the anterior third of the upper eye. 



P. dentata. Mitchell. The Flounder of New York. 

 Trans. Lit. et Philosoph. Soc. N. Y. vol. i. p. 390. 



This species known by the fishermen as the '' Sand-dab''^ in 

 the Boston market, is frequently taken in the winter season in 

 deep water at Provincetown ; and although a marketable fish, 

 is considered inferior to the ••plana." In the stomach of this 

 species I found a new '' Nucula^" which has as yet been 

 detected only in this species, and which I described and fig- 

 ured in the second volume of the " Boston Journal of Natural 

 History." The largest individual I have seen of the '■'■den- 

 tata" was twenty-one inches in length, eight and a half in- 

 ches in width, and weighed three and a half pounds. 



