MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 481 



There were three rows of lumps on each side. One proceeded from 

 the eye-brow to the middle region of the tail. Another from the gill- 

 opening above the pectoral fin to the lower part of the tail. A third 

 formed the margin or angle of the belly, reaching from the extremities 

 of the pectoral fin to the vicinity of the anal. 



All these lumps, processes, and protuberances, bore a resemblance to 

 the plates on the sides of sturgeons ; but they were not so well defined, 

 nor so hard and scabrous. 



The belly was broad and flat ; and at the forepart of it was an ellip- 

 tical organ for adhering to other bodies. It was situated between the 

 pectoral fins. The diameter was one inch transversely, by somewhat 

 more than an inch longitudinally. It was surrounded by a fin or mem- 

 brane ; and there was an appearance of whitish bars across it, to the 

 number of four. 



The vent was distinct, about two thirds the way along the belly ; and 

 the anal fin was composed of ten soft and gristly rays. 



The tail terminated straight and even ; consisting of eleven similar 

 rays. 



The pectoral fins approached near toward each other, but did not 

 quite unite. They consisted each of twenty rays. 



The head was consolidated with the body. The mouth was an inch 

 wide ; and the teeth in both jaws were small and of a softish and yield- 

 ing nature. The throat also contained some teeth. The eyes were 

 very gibbous and prominent ; the irides of a yellowish silvery ; and their 

 distances on the extremities of the head, two inches apart. 



The branchia lmembrane consisted of four soft and cartilaginous rays. 



The nostrils are two, and single ; situated between the eyes ; and end- 

 ing in tubular orifices. 



This animal possessed very little of a fishy odour. 



63 



