398 MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 



caudal fins, light, or pale brown, inclining sometimes to yellowish. Anal 

 and ventral fin3 pale yellow. 



Tail even. Lower jaw longer than the upper. 



Lateral line arched upward ; and after its descent, runs quite to the 

 extremity of the caudal fin. 



Tongue yellow, with minute black dots around the forepart ; con- 

 cave, with a soft and flexible margin ; has a frcenum. 



The swimming bladder is convertible to good glue. I have eaten as 

 fine blancmange from it, as from the isinglass of the sturgeon. 



He is a fish of a goodly appearance ; and is wholesome and well 

 tasted, though rather soft. Is brought to market in great numbers 

 during the summer months. He is taken both by the line and the 

 seine. He is called weak fish, as some say, because he does not pull 

 very hard after he is hooked ; or, as others allege, because labouring 

 men, who are fed upon him, are weak, by reason of the deficient nour- 

 ishment in that kind of food. 



Certain peculiar noises under water, of a low, rumbling, or drumming 

 kind, are ascribed, by the fishermen, to the squeteague. Whether the 

 sounds come from these fishes or not, it is certain that during their sea- 

 son, they may be heard coming from the bottom of the water ; and in 

 places frequented by weak fish ; and not in other places ; and when the 

 weak fish depart, the sounds are no more heard. 



Rays, Br. 7. P. 16. V. 5. D. 8—28. A. 13. C. 17. 



A beautiful variety of this fish is sometimes seen with the following 

 characters, to wit : 



Spotted Squeteague. (Lab. sq. maculatus.) There are black, well- 

 defined spots among the specks over the back and sides, and chequering 

 the caudal and second dorsal fins. The pectoral fins are rather smaller. 

 Ventral and anal fins not yellow, but brownish. 



The parts thus variegated with spots have a pretty appearance. 



