Deiter. 
#18 THREE SPINED S. BACK. Clafs IV. 
‘them. A notion may be had of this vaft fhoal, 
by faying that a man employed by the farmer to 
take them, has got for a confiderable time four fhil- 
lings a day by felling them at a halfpenny per 
bufhel. | 
This fpecies feldom reaches the length of two — 
inches: the eyes are large: the belly prominent : 
the body near the tail fquare: the fides are covered 
with large bony plates, placed tranfverfely. 
_ On the back are three fharp fpines, that can be 
raifed or depreffed at pleafure: the dorfal fin is 
placed near the tail: the pedtoral fins are broad : 
the ventral fins confift each of one fpine, or rather 
plate, of unequal lengths, one being large, the other 
{mall,; between both is a flat bony plate, reaching ~ 
almoft to the vent: beneath the vent is a fhort 
fpine, and then fucceeds the anal fin. 
The tail confifts of twelve rays, and is even at 
the end. 
The color of the back and fides is an olive green} 
the belly white; but in fome the lower jaws and 
belly are of a bright crimfon. 
IY, The 
