46 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



Umbrina nebulosa, Stover. 

 The King-fish. 



(Plate IX. Fig. 4.) 



Scimna nebuhsa^ King-fisli^ Mitchill, Trans. Lit. and Phil. Soc. of N.Y., i. p. 408, pi. 3, fig. 5. 



VOmhrine des Etats Unis {Umbrina alburmis, Cnv., Scimna nebulosa, Mitch.j Perca alburnus, List., Centropomus albur- 



nus^ Lacep.), Cuv. et Yal , Hist. Nat. des Poiss., v. p. 180. 

 Umbrina nebulosa^ King-Jish, Stoker, Report, p. 35. 



" " " Aybes, Bost. Joura. Nat. Hist, iv. p. 259. 



" " " LiNSLET, Cat. of Fishes of Conn. 



Umbrina albumus, King-fish^ Dekay, Report, p. 78, pi. 7, iig. 20. 



" " " Stoker, Mem. Amer. Acad., New Series, ii. p. 323. 



" " " Stoker, Synopsis^ p. 71. 



Color. Of a dull gray color, with silvery reflections upon sides, ornamented with 

 irregularly disposed dark bars ; some passing obliquely forwards from the dorsal iin ; 

 others passing obliquely backwards from nape of neck ; and one broader one pursues a 

 straight course backwards through the middle of the body, from extremity of pectorals 

 to the tail. Body beneath, yellowish. Extremities of jfirst dorsal, pectorals, and tips of 

 ventrals, white ; rays black ; second dorsal and base of pectorals and ventral s color of 

 abdomen. 



Description. Body elongated, slightly arched over pectorals, gradually tapering 

 towards tail Length of head, which is the same as the greatest depth of the body, 

 equal to one fifth the entire length of the fish. Scales upon the head smaller than those 

 upon the body ; head slightly flattened between eyes ; rounded upon occiput ; somewhat 

 depressed ba"ck of snout. Snout blunted, projecting slightly beyond upper jaw. Eyes 

 of moderate size ; the greatest diameter equal to half the distance between eyes. Nos- 

 trils directly in front of eyes ; the posterior larger, situated obliquely beneath and in 

 front of the anterior inferior angle of eye ; at the anterior inferior angle of this orifice is 

 situated the anterior nostril, which is very small and circular. Mouth of moderate size, 

 projectile ; lips fleshy ; jaws filled with numerous very small card-like teeth, the front 

 row in the upper jaw the longest ; upper jaw the longer ; a small fleshy cirrhus is sus- 

 pended from the chin. Preoperculum serrated at its posterior margin ; more sparsely so 

 beneath. A small, concealed, delicate spinous point is observed at posterior portion of 

 operculum. Lateral line very distinct, curving with the body. 



The triangular dorsal fin arises just back of the pectorals ; its first ray is a minute 

 spine ; the third ray is much the longest of all ; this ray is nearly twice as high as the 

 length of the fin, and nearly three tenths the length of the fish. The extremities of the 

 rays are free, like those of the other fins. 



The height of the second dorsal, which is equal throughout, is one sixth of its length. 



