7 
Fishes of M. assachusetts. 485 
erel, quite near the shore. Although it generally 
weighs but a few pounds, specimens have been 
caught the last season weighing twenty pounds. 
A specimen purchased in the market August 6, 
enables me to furnish the following description : 
Length of the fish, eighteen inches; depth of 
the body, aeross the middle, exclusive of the fins, 
seven inches. Length of the head, three and a half 
inches; depth from the origin of the dorsal fin, 
three inches. Body elongated, with small scales, 
perfectly smooth. Left side of a reddish gray color, 
with large circular, oval or oblong blotches of a 
darker color, surrounded with a lighter margin, and 
also numerous white spots, which are more obvious 
upon the fins. Right side white, without spots. 
Upper eye slightly back of the under, in a vertical 
line. Eyes moderate in size, oblong ; pup lue 
black ; irides silvery ; distance between the eyes, 
equal t0 the longest diameter of the eye. Orbits, 
space in front of the eyes; and jaws, spotted with dull 
bluish spots. Gape of the mouth large ; jaws equal 
in length, and armed with a single row of sepa- 
rated, quite large, sharp teeth ; the front ones much 
the largest: A protuberance at the chin. Nostrils, 
three lines in front of the eyes.  Gll-covers ex- 
tend back of the eyes, nearly two and a half . 
inches. A 
The lateral line makes a high arch over the pec- 
torals, previous to assuming its straight course to the 
tail; the top of this arch, is more than one inch 
atawe the straight line. 
The Dorsal fin arises over the anterior half of 
