49 



anals. Olive brown, blotched on body and fins with darker, 

 punctulate on sides. D. 13-17-18; A. 20-17. Length 12 

 inches. 



A diminutive cod-fish, common all along the shore as far south 

 as Virginia. Runs up stream into nearly pure fresh water. 

 Family Pleuronectidae. 

 Flounders. 



The flat-fishes are related to the cod-fishes ; the skull is un- 

 symmetrical, twisted about bringing both eyes to the upper 

 side ; the lower side is colorless. In early youth the flounders 

 swim vertically and are normal of figure, but they gradually 

 assume a horizontal one-sided position and shape. No air 

 bladder; dorsal and anal very long, no spines. A large and 

 widely distributed family of marine fishes of some importance. 

 A few are anadromous. 



Achirus fasciatus Lac. 

 Sole; Hogchoker, etc. 



Oval ; teeth on the blind side only. The right side upper- 

 most. Olive brown, mottled,. with narrow black vertical lines, 

 left side white with dark spots. D. 50 or more; A. 40 more or 

 less. Scales 66-75. Caudal rounded ; pectorals wanting. 

 Length to 8 inches. 



Entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States on 

 sandy or- muddy bottoms ; anadromous. I caught one very 

 small specimen of the sole in a tidal creek of the Hackensack 

 River, where the water was fresh. It is thought that soles 

 spawn in fresh water. 



The total number of species of our vicinity, as above de- 

 scribed, may be summarized as follows : 



Native fresh water species known, 24 ; introduced species, 

 11 ; brackish water and anadromous species, 26. Total, 61. 

 Adding thereto the probably occuring native species, 12, gives 

 a total of about 73, belonging to 54 genera and 24 families. 

 This shows that while the number of species is not large, the 

 families are well represented. 



None of the species are limited to a small area of nearby 

 country. Fishes found by me further east than their supposed 



