448 MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 



Tail concave, but scarcely amounting to a fork. Eyes rather lar^e. 

 Two dorsal fins, the first of which is spinous. Two first anal rays 

 spinous. 



An acquaintance of mine caught a mullet that weighed two pounds- 

 and a half; and this is the heaviest that is remembered. 



Rays, Br. 4. P. 17. V. 6. D. 4—9. A. 10. C. 15. 



EXOCffiTCS. FLYING FISH. 



Generic character. 



Head scaly. Jaws connected on each side. Gill membrane ten 

 "rayed. Pectoral fins very large, giving the power of flight. 



1. Middling Flying Fish. (Exoccdus mesogaster.) Silvery blue 

 flying fish, with the ventral fins situated on the middle of the abdomen. 



The specimen I examined was rather less than four inches long ; and 

 was brought from the ocean somewhere to the south. 



The pectoral fins reached back almost to the tail ; and the ventrals- 

 were situated midway on the belly. 



2. Single-bearded Flying Fish. (Exocottus comatus.) With single 

 cirrhus to the chin. 



Five inches was the length of the one from which the present de- 

 scription is made. 



Baqk brown. Belly shining white. Lateral line straight. 



Pectoral fins reach as far back as the posterior extremity of the dos- 

 sal. Ventral fins long, and situated far behind. 



Scales deciduous, and the lines between them decussate. 



But the greatest peculiarity is a cirrhus or string of fwo inches and a 

 half in length depending from the chin, at the extremity of the lower 

 jaw. This excrescence is single, blackish, tough, and elastic. 



Rays, P. 12. V. 6. D. 11. A. 6„ 



