464 MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 



Cheeks full, and appearing as if bloated. Neck very thick, and seem- 

 ing to be merged in the head and thorax. The chubby and clumsy 

 forepart tapering away exceedingly toward the tail. 



Skin scaleless, slimy, adhesive, and covering the body loosely like a 

 shirt. A dozen or fourteen soft skinny cirrhi beneath the lower jaw. A 

 diligent search will find a larger one near each angle of the mouth. 

 Projections of a cirrhous kind, discoverable by nice observation along 

 the forepart of the upper jaw. A row of small and soft tubercles under 

 each, to the number of eight or more ; and to be traced along with some 

 interruption, to the upper part of the tail. 



Mouth enormous. Eyes approximated, prominent, dark-hyaline, and 

 surrounded by the soft yielding skin. Branchial rays enveloped in the 

 same lax and tenacious covering. 



Upper lip furnished with a set of small and not very sharp teeth. 

 Upper jaw itself armed with a stronger and larger set, which are more 

 blunt. Lower jaw supplied with teeth like those of the upper, which 

 at the front are more clustered and numerous. 



Tongue conspicuous and smooth. The same laxity of the integu- 

 ments in the mouth that distinguishes the external surface. 



Colour light brown, clouded, and mottled all over with dark brown, 

 excepting the belly, which is of a flesh colour, with yellowish from the 

 chin to the vent, interspersed here and there with blackish marks. 



Several processes imperfectly spinous at the hinder part of the gill- 

 cover. 



When the mouth is shut, the lower jaw rather projects and shows its 

 front teeth. 



Gill-opening moderate and single on each side ; directly before the 

 pectoral fin. That fin stout, brachiated, and ending in flexible rays. 

 Its circumference roundish, and banded across with dark upon the pa- 

 ler ground. 



