mugil 267 



Scorpcena Gibbosa, — another, by no means a 

 distant relation of the family, with forked spines 

 and broad pectoral fins, is also taken under sim- 

 ilar circumstances. It would seem that they lurk 

 about the feeding places of other more active spe- 

 cies ; and it is quite probable, that they are suc- 

 cessful in seizing the cod, the gape of the mouth, 

 even in those of ten inches, being large enough to 

 receive the entire head of a good sized one. They 

 could not swallow a morsel so large, but by killing 

 the fish they might afterwards feed upon the car- 

 case leisurely, in the dark regions where they are 

 unquestionably organised to thrive. 



GEN. MUGIL; 



From the following characteristics, the tribe of 

 mullets will be readily known, viz : " the head is 

 depressed, broad and scaly," says Stark. " The 

 ventral fins are under the abdomen, and there are 

 two short, distant dorsal fins, of which the first or 

 spinous, is further back than the ventrals, and the 

 second answers to the anal?; mouth with fleshy, 

 crenulated lips, lower jaw with a carination in the 

 middle, entering into a corresponding groove in 

 the upper ; no teeth ; branchial membrane with 

 three rays." 



Besides having a rich grayish color, longitudi- 

 nally shaded by brownish parallel lines, the abdo- 



