44 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Agassiz considers this species distinct from the occidentalis of Cuvier, and has accord- 

 ingly named it for Dekay, who had previously expressed doubts of its identity. 

 Maine, H. R. Storer. Massachusetts, Storer. New York, Dekay. 



FAMILY III. SCI^NIDiE. 



This family is very similar to that of the Percoids, and presents nearly all the same 

 combinations of exterior charactersj especially the denticulations of the preoperculumj 

 and the spines of the operculum ; but it has no teeth, either on the vomer or palatines ; 

 in general, the bones of the cranium and face are cavernous, and form a snout more or 

 less rounded. It often occurs in this family that the vertical fins are rather scaly. Some 

 of the genera have two dorsals, others but one. 



GENUS I. OTOLITHUS, Cxjv. 



The bones of the anal fin are weak, and there are no barbels ; some of the teeth 

 terminate in elongated hooks, or are of the canine form. Their natatory bladder has 

 a horn on each side, projecting forwards* 



Otolithus eegalis, Cm. 



The Weah'fish. 



(Plate IX. Fig. L) 



JoJinius regaliSf ScHi:r. 



Lahrus squeteague^ Weak-fish^ Mitchill, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N. Y., i. p. 396, pi, 2, fig. 6. 



L'Otolitlie royal {Otolithus regali% Cuv., Johnius regalis, Schn., Lahrus sgueteague, Mitch.), Cuv. et Val., v. p. 67. 



Scicena (Otolithus) regalis^ Squeteague^ Bich., Faun. Boreal. AmeriCj iii. p. 68. 



Otolithus regalis^ Weak-fish^ Stoeer, Report, p. 33. 



" " " Aykes, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist., iv. p. 259. 



" " " Bekat, Eeport, p. 71, pi. 8, %. 24. 



" " " LiNsi^EY, Cat. of Fishes of Conn. 



" " " Stoker, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, ii. p. 318. 



" " " Storee, Synopsis, p. 66. 



Color. The upper part of the body is of a bluish color, with irregularly distributed 

 W„ish.p». sLler,. AMoJe„wM.e. Pupils blac. ; HdesV- Do..s, 



pectorals, and caudal fin brownish, Ventrals and anal orange. 



Description. Body elongated, compressed. The length of the head is equal to one 

 fourth the whole length of the fish ; it is flattened between the eyes, and slightly convex 

 back of them. The eyes are large and horizontally oblong, and about one seventh the 

 length of the head. The nostrils are situated directly in front of the superior anterior 

 angle of the eye ; — the posterior the larger, a vertical slit ; the anterior circular. Mouth 



