FISHES OF NEW YORK 683 



The depth of the bod}^ is one fifth of the length, which is three 

 and one half times the length of the head. Rose-red; profile of 

 snout rather steep, slightly concave; preorbital with short denti- 

 culations; maxillarv nearly reaching front of orbit; lateral line 

 with a series of unarmed plates, which are deeper than long; 

 first dorsal spine tuberculated; second longest, two thirds length 

 of head; pectoral reaching past front of anal. D. IX-18; ^. 17; 

 Lat. 1. 75. 



The red gurnard is a native of southern Europe. It is said 

 by Cuvier to have been once brought from New York by Milbert, 

 but this is a very doubtful record, as no collector has recently 

 found any species of T r i g 1 a in American waters. De Kay 

 did not see this fish on the coast of New York, and he copied 

 his description from Cuvier and Valenciennes. De Kay states 

 that Cuvier and Valenciennes mention having received '' a spe- 

 cimen from New York, which so much resembles the T. c u c u - 

 1 u s , not only in all its generalities but even in its most minute 

 details, that it is very difficult for us not to consider it the same 

 species; but, as our specimen was not recent, it may possibly 

 present some distinct characters." 



Famil}^ cephalacanthidae^ 

 Flying Gurnards 



Genus cephalacanthus Lacepede 

 Body elongate, subquadrangular, tapering behind; head very 

 blunt, quadrangular, its surface almost entirely bony; nasals, 

 preorbitals, suborbitals, and bones of top of head united into 

 a shield; nuchal part of shield on each side produced backward 

 in a bony ridge, ending in a strong spine, which reaches past 

 front of dorsal; interocular space deeply concave; preorbitals 

 forming a projecting roof above the jaws; preopercle produced 

 in a very long rough spine; cheeks and opercles with small 

 scales; opercle smaller than eye; gill openings narrow, vertical, 

 separated by a very broad, scaly isthmus; pseudobranchiae 

 large; gill rakers minute; mouth small, lower jaw included; jaws 

 with granular teeth; no teeth on vomer or palatines; scales 



