432 MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 



each side of the thorax, ending in a thorny process. A hard scale ex- 

 tending backward from each eye, and ending rather bluntly between the 

 gill-opening and foremost dorsal fin. 



Back brown, interspersed with ochreous, reddish, and yellowish. 

 Lateral line rough, and strongly marked at its commencement near the 

 nape of the neck, and becoming more faint as it proceeds, until it is 

 rather indistinct near the tail. Belly, from the neck to the vent, 

 white ; and remarkably so behind the fingers and fins. Behind the vent 

 colour whitish, with shades of yellowish and reddish. 



Two dorsal fins, the first of which is spinous, and lodged in a groove. 



Three bright yellow fingers on each side from one and a half to two 

 and a quarter inches long, curved, expanded, and webbed toward their 

 extremities. 



Pectoral fins four inches long, and scolloped between the points of 

 the rays. They are of a roundish shape. Their outside irregularly 

 purplish brown and yellow. Their inside faintly bluish with dusky. 

 White above, as far as the third ray. Ventrals white, with yellowish 

 rays on the upper side. Dorsals brown, with intermixture of yellow. 

 Tail darker, especially at the extremity, with stripes of yellowish be- 

 tween the rays. Anal dirty yellow. Scales moderate, and firmly ad- 

 herent. 



Rays, Br. 6. P. 14. V. 6. D. 9—14. A. 16. C. 15. 



