f 



348 Examination of the Catalogue of 



not be. 



grateful 



feelings, had another referred to it; but associated 

 as we are, in search of the truth, and pledged to re- 

 move every obstacle which may check our advance to- 

 wards it, I conceive it the duty of each one of us, how- 

 ever much we may be regardful of personal feelings, to 



ipeak 



•with- 



holding nothing ourselves, which we might hope for from 



another. With 



character of this Society, to commence an examination 

 of this catalogue— published as it is to the scientific world, 

 with the author's name, and under the auspices of a justly 

 distinguished Professor. 



In the first place, I would call the attention of the 



Society to several fishes which do not appear in the 

 Cat'alocrue. 



The beautiful Squalus punctatus, so well described 

 bjr Mitchell, in his paper on the Fishes of New York, 

 contained in the first volume of the Transactions of the 

 Literary and Philosophical Society of New York, has not 

 been noticed. This fish is often taken in our bay ; it is 

 sometimes met with, twelve feet or more in len^^th, and 

 IS exceedingly voracious. Tlie Carcharias ghucus of 

 the catalogue, was probably intended for this fish ; a slight 

 investigation will show the difference in the two fishes. 



The Clupea fasdata, Le Sueur, common in our 

 market in the spring of the year, and called, as well as 

 the vernalis, alewife, by the fishermen, is omitted. 



In the cabinet of the Society, Is a fine specimen of the 

 ZoARCHus lahrosus of Cuvler, from three to four feet in 

 length, taken in our bay, and presented by Captain Cou- 

 thouy. Dr. Mitchell first described this fish as the 



Blennius lahrosus. 



^ 



y - 

 r'i - 



