MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 413 



PERCA. PERCH. 



Generic character. 



Teeth sharp, incurvate. Gill-covers triphyllous, scaly, serrated. 

 Dorsal fin spiny on the forepart. Scales, in most species, hard and 

 rough. 



1 . MitchilVs Perch, Striped Basse, or Rock Fish. (Perca Mitchilli.) 

 With eight parallel lines from head to tail. 



One of the most large, distinguished, and excellent of the New-York 

 fishes : may be found in the market of all sizes, from the weight of an 

 ounce to that of seventy pounds, and upward. 



The position of the ventral fins rather behind the pectoral, made me 

 once incline to place him in the order of the abdominales. His second 

 gill plate is finely serrated. That circumstance, if he remained among 

 the thoracic, would rank him among the percae. When I decided in 

 favour of changing his order, I was obliged to constitute a new genus 

 for him, which I called roccus. But having since found that there are 

 fishes whose ventral fins are further back on the abdomen than this, that 

 are, nevertheless, considered as thoracic, I have, on reconsideration, 

 persuaded myself, it will be most correct to place him among his con- 

 geners of the perca family. 



His middle gill-cover is nicely serrated, and the notches are largest 

 at the angle. The posterior part of the third plate is armed by two 

 spinous processes, which are partly concealed by the membrane that 

 underlays them. 



Two dorsal fins, the foremost of which is spinous, ramentose, and 

 formed of eight rays. 



Head rather elongated, and the lower jaw jutting beyond the upper, 



