390 EXPLORATIONS ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN OF UTAH. 



preoperculum, and by the absence of the teeth at the anterior extremity of the tongue; 

 the whole margin of the tongue in the latter genus being provided with a band of 

 villiform teeth, and the spur-formed teeth of the inferior margin of the preoperculum 

 calling to mind the genus Plectropoma of Cuvier among the Serrani. The difference 

 between the last-named genus, or at least some of its species, and Serranus is indeed 

 not of as great value as that between Labrax and Boccus. The only constant charac- 

 ter between Serranus and Plectropoma, as those genera were established by Cuvier, is 

 the spur-like armature of the inferior border of the preoperculum, while Labrax and 

 Boccus are distinguished, not only by an equally great and constant difference of the 

 preopercular border, but also by the difference of the lingual dentition. As the former 

 character is of as great value in the Labraces as in the Serrani, consistency will require 

 that if Plectropoma and Serranus are considered as distinct genera, Boccus and Labrax 

 should also be so regarded. 



The difference between Boccus and Morone is of even more importance than that 

 of Boccus and Labrax. The distinguishing characters will be referred to under the 

 diagnosis of Morone. 



The name which has been adopted for this genus is one given by Dr. Mitchill, in 

 the year 1814, to a medley comprising the Boccus lineatus (which he called Boccus 

 stnatus) and the OtoUthus regalis (which was designated as Boccus comes). The name 

 was solely the result of ignorance, on the part of the author, of the application of the 

 ordinary terms used by naturalists at that day. 



As the work in which the name of Boccus was first published is very rare and 

 inaccessible, the remarks of Mitchill on his Boccus striatus have been extracted to show 

 the character of the work. We are indebted to Mr. Brevoort for the loan of the vol- 



"It has seemed to me proper to make a new genus for this fish and his congeners. 

 He has been supposed by some to be the Perca nobilis,* but the position of his ventral 

 hns torbula him to be considered as a Perca at all. Besides, if he was a member of the 

 Wn ! hl ] mi Y' Th( ' s * )ecific chara <*er of 'eight brown bands' is totally different from the 

 lon-midinal stripes that distinguish him, and would rank him among the undescribed 

 species. Besides, he has two dorsal fins, while the P. nolilis has but one." 



In the first place, the so-called Boccus striatus does not differ from the very com- 

 mon European Perch, and from the numerous allied species and genera, in the posi- 

 tion o£ the ventrak r 



In the next instance, even if it did so differ, Mitchill had, on a previous pa-e, 

 founded a genus for the same reason as in the case of Boccus; and he has given no 

 indications whatever as to how the two are to be generically distinguished. 



The two species that are referred to Boccus belong to totally distinct families. 



t mally, the "Boccus striatus" had been indicated previously in four different works. 



^ lhe name Boccus is itself a barbarous latinization of the popular name "Rock- 



hsh^o^simply^Eock", by which its chief species is known in some parts of the United 



Chastodon octofasciatm 



any way related to the Perca noUli*. According to Cnvier and Valenciennes, t 



