450 REPORT OF THE 



much more numerous at Sag Harbor, Greenport, and Gardiner's Bay. The Tautog 

 is found during the entire year in Gravesend Bay. It was very abundant in bays 

 on the eastern part of Long Island during the summer of 1898, especially during 

 July and August. In 1901, no large Tautog were seined during the summer in 

 Great South Bay. Many of the young were obtained in the eel pots which were 

 usually set off the mouths of streams. 



Suborder SQUAMIPINNES. Scaly-fins. 

 Family EPHIPPIDiE. Angel Fishes. 



179. Tripletail {Chcetodipterns fabcr Broussonet). 



The Tripletail, or Spadefish, is also known as the Mooniish ; it is the SJicepsJiead 

 Ch(Ziodon of Mitchill, and the Banded Ephippus of DeKay. Mitchill records it as 

 taken at the east end of Long Island, July 27, 1815, and also in 1817. DeKay, in 

 his New York Fauna, says : " About 20 years since they were caught here in seines 

 in great numbers. Some of them were 18 inches long. * * * The popular 

 names, Three-tailed Sheepshead, and Three-tailed Porgee, were given them by fish- 

 ermen in allusion to their prolonged dorsal and anal fins. * * * Sehcepff 

 states that it is called Angelfish m South Carolina." The species is called Spadefish 

 in States bordering the Gulf of Mexico. 



This fish has occasionally been taken as far north as Cape Cod. Southward it is 

 recorded from Guatemala. It occurs in the West Indies. In Chesapeake Bay it is 

 moderately common. 



At Woods Hole, according to Dr. Smith, it is very rare. One specimen was 

 obtained in 1889; since then only three have been observed. All were caught in 

 traps, at Menemsha, in August and September. The fish measured from 16 to 18 

 inches. It grows to the length of 3 feet. 



Family CHiETODONTID^. Butterfly Fishes. 



180. Parche {Clmtodon ocellatiis Bloch). 



The Parche, also called Butterfly Fish, belongs to the West Indian fauna. It is 

 common at Havana, the young straying northward in the Gulf Stream to Cape Cod, 

 Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. In Gravesend Bay the fish is very rare. 

 A single specimen was obtained from a pound near Clam Pond Cove, October 17, 

 1898. This fish is conspicuous on account of the red color of its fins, contrasting 

 very sharply wiih the dark bands on the head and body. The fish was also taken 



