Fishes of Massachusetts. ‘519 
the fish, 30 inches; pectoral fins, 8 inches high, 6 
long, composed of 10 rays; anal fin, 18 inches high, 
10 long, composed of 18 rays; 9 scallops to the tail, 
6 inches in their broadest part." 
I am aware that the ichthyologist wil think that 
the above description does not much coincide with 
Yarrell's account of the “ mola.” Still less does my 
figure agree with his; it will be remembered, how- 
ever, that his plate was taken from a “preserved 
specimen," only fourteen inches long ; and that his 
description is drawn up from the same specimen. 
From Pennant's description, I should judge he had 
never seen the fish. The description in “ 'Turton’s 
Linnzus” agrees pretty well with my specimen in all 
its important points. It will also be observed that 
Yarrell remarks, that “ there is reason to believe this 
fish alters in appearance as it increases in age. Ina 
much larger example, the skin was of an uniform 
dirty pale brown; the texture hard, rough, coarse 
and thick." 
Fawriry II. 
SCLERODERMI. 
d. 
Monocantuus. Cuv. 
Generic characters. Very small scales, covered 
with stiff and thickly set asperities, like the pile on 
velvet ; extremity of the pelvis salient and spinous 
as in the true Balistes; a single large serrated 
spine in the first dorsal, or at least the second one is 
almost imperceptible. 
