236 HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



sharp, incurved, lancet-shaped teeth. The lower jaw has two rows of broad, quadrangu- 

 lar teeth,^divided in their centres by a perpendicular ridge, and havnig their apices armed 

 with a horizontally subtriangular cutting edge, directed, on each side of the centre of the 

 jaw, toward the angle of the jaw. There are about twenty-six teeth on each side of the 

 centre of the jaw. The temporal orifices are small ; they are situated rather more than 

 three inches posterior and superior to the eyes. The branchiae, about two and a half 

 inches in length, are eight inches back of the eyes. The entire surface of the body, in- 

 cluding the fins, is thickly covered with minute conical recurved spines ; these spines are 

 grooved longitudinally, particularly upon their convex surfaces. 



The lateral line is scarcely perceptible in the recent fish, but is readily traced on the 

 dried specimen : it is a somewhat irregular black line, which, arising above the eyes, and 

 passing along the whole length of the body, is lost upon the upper lobe of the caudal fin ; 

 from its under edge pass downward numerous lines of about one quarter of an inch in 

 length, of the same color as the line itself, separated about a half inch from each other. 



The first dorsal fin is subtriangular, — eight inches high from its base to its posterior 

 tip 5 three inches long ; the posterior portion of the fin is prolonged three inches beyond 

 the base. 



The second dorsal fin arises twenty inches back of the first ; it is three inches high 

 and eight inches long at its base ; its posterior portion is elongated five inches beyond 

 the base. 



The pectorals are situated thirteen inches back of the angle of the jaws f their height 

 is eleven inches, their length six inches, — they are rounded posteriorly. 



The ventrals are subquadrangular, and are situated just in front of the second dorsal 

 fin ; their height is six inches, their length five inches, their posterior prolongation three 

 inches in extent. 



The caudal fin is emarginated; the height of the upper lobe is fifteen and a half inch- 

 es ; that of the lower lobe is twelve inches. The distance from the tip of the upper lobe 

 to the lower edge of the lower lobe is twenty inches. 



Length, eight to twenty feet. 



Bemarhs. In the year 1818, Lesueur described and figured this species, fi?om a stuffed 

 specimen he saw at Marblehead. Never having been able to obtain a specimen, I was 

 obliged to transcribe Lesueur's description into my ^^ Eeport," published in 1839. Dekay 

 followed my example in his " Report on the Fishes of New York,'' which appeared in 

 1842, in copying Lesueur ; but not satisfied, with, to use his words, « an iUy-constructed 



