THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 383 



Mouth broad with bands of vilhform teeth, broader above ante- 

 riorly, and none connected in front of either jaw. Mandible 

 inferior. Maxillary reaching front of eye. Interorbital space a 

 little broad and concave. Cheek-bone without distinct spine. 

 Edge of preorbital granular-serrate, without distinct spine, and 

 serrse about 12 on each side. Temporal ridges rough, without 

 spines. Bones of head with coarsely granular striae. Gill-rakers 

 III 3 -f 14 V, lanceolate, rather short, and longest about i>4 in 

 orbit. Scales on trunk rather large, more or less of uniform size 

 except much smaller on belly and breast. Base of caudal with 

 small scales. Spinous dorsal inserted about midway between 

 gape of mouth and origin of rayed fin, third spine longest and 

 anterior margin of first finely serrate. Rayed dorsal inserted a 

 little nearer base of caudal than gape of mouth, and highest ante- 

 riorly. Anal similar, inserted a trifle posterior, and tips of .radii 

 free. Caudal truncate. Origin of pectoral opposite that of 

 spinous dorsal, and fin extending a little beyond base of ninth 

 dorsal ray. Ventral inserted a little before origin of pectoral and 

 reaching anal, margin of fin notched. Color brown. A dusky- 

 bronze band below lateral line parallel with its course. Rayed 

 dorsal with 2 dark blotches extending as bars on back. Head 

 speckled. Lower surface of body white. A blackish blotch on 

 spinous dorsal marginally at fourth and fifth spines. Pectoral 

 dusky or blackish with numerous fine lines of dark, edges of fin 

 above and below pale. Length less than a foot. Beesley's Point. 



This is a most abundant species on our coast in shallow or 

 deep water ahke. Many examples from. Cape May, Anglesea, 

 Grassy Sound, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City, Absecom 

 and Atlantic City. 



Prionotus strigatus Bean, Bull. U. S. F. Com., VII, 1887, p.. 

 136.— Moore, Bull, U. S. F. Com., XII, 1892, p. 364.— Smith, 

 Bull. U. S. F. Com., XII, 1892, p. 378. 



Family CEPHALACANTHIDiE. 



The Flying Gurnards. 



Body elongate, subquadrangular, tapering behind. Head very 

 blunt, quadrangular, its surface almost entirely bony. X^asals^ 



