: Fishes of Massachusetts. — 989 
one fourth the length of the body, including the tail. 
— Head naked, save a patch of small scales upon the 
upper part of the operculum, and a vertical band 
- . of the eyes. Lips large and fleshy: jaws with a 
single row of strong conical teeth, those in front, 
~~ largest ; teeth in the pharynx. Nostrils- double, 
small, above and in front of the anterior angle of 
À eye. Eyes circular ; } pupils blue black ; irides sil- 
! very, dusky after death ; diameter of the eye equal 
to half the distance between eyes. "The /ateral line 
arises just above the operculum, and curves with 
the body. 
The Dorsal fin arises on a line with the pecto- 
rals; the first seventeen rays terminate in naked 
spines, at the base of ` ch 
- fleshy tentacula; the posterior f eshy rays of this fin 
are nearly as high again as the spinous rays; the fin 
extends to within a short distance of the tail. Base 
of the rays with scales. 
"The Pectorals commence just in front of the pos- 
terior angle of the operculum; of the color To v 
abdomen, rounded at e enirn Lengt 
height as1t03. 
'The Ventrals are si mated a shite PRM back 
of the pectorals; above, dark colored; beneath, 
3 e; length about one third their "1 The 
da lane with that fin į- the tow ie rays are spinous ; 
3 fi lónges than high. 
of similar scales upon the preoperculum, just back ~ 
