﻿July, 185G.] 



ELLIOTT SOCIETY. 



43 



beneath. In every case the white has predominated, and in a few cases 

 there were no dusky spots at all." 



As far as we can learn, this is all that has been published up to 1854 de- 

 scriptive of the American Devil-fish. In the month of June, of that year a 

 large fish was accidentally captured in the harbour of Charleston, by becom- 

 ing entangled in the hawser of a schooner moored near Sullivan's Island. 



After dragging the schooner's anchor and all, a distance of about half a 

 mile he was hauled alongside and despatched with harpoons and lances. — 

 It was purchased, prepared and mounted by us, and may now be seen at the 

 Museum of the College of Charleston. There is also a fcetus in the Muse- 

 um belonging to a female fish captured here many years ago; this fcetus was 

 born after the mother was hauled upon the wharf. 



From a careful examination of the Sullivan's Island specimen we were sa- 

 tisfied that it was an undescribed species, corresponding in part with the de- 

 scription given by Mr. Elliot, but unlike those by De Kay, Lesueur, and oth- 

 ers ; We therefore published an account of it in the Charleston Mercury 

 June 24th 1854, and named it " Ceplialoptera Elliotti" in compliment to Mr. 

 Elliott who was the first to notice its characteristics. 



Neither this specimen nor the fcetus, has a spine anterior or posterior to 

 the dorsal fin, but the knot and groove alluded to by Mr. Elliott, are very 

 prominent and distinct, in the adult specimen. 



In color, the back corresponds with Lesueur's description — "black, a little 

 reddish'" but beneath, with Elliott's, — "white, varied with dusky opaque 

 clouds." 



The lower jaw contains ten to twelve rows of slender teeth, placed in 

 quincunx; — the tail shorter than body, (see annexed table of dimensions.) 



On the tenth of the present month (June 1856,) another large specimen 

 was taken at Mount Pleasant, Harbor of Charleston ; it corresponds very 

 nearly if not exactly with the Sullivan's Island, specimen, but more white 

 beneath. And has from twelve to fifteen rows of teeth which are more 

 slender than those of the other fish. 



It was not preserved, but we were fortunate in obtaining accurate draw- 

 ings and careful measurements. Through the kindness of the proprietor we 

 were presented with a part of the vertebral column extending from the an- 

 terior base of the dorsal fin, including the knob and groove and part of the 

 tail. Provided with this interesting portion, and from an adult specimen 

 too, we proceeded carefully by dissection to ascertain if possible, there was 

 not some fragment of a spine or spines remaining concealed beneath the 

 skin of the tail, at the anterior end of the groove or posterior base of the 

 knob. Nothing of the kind could be found, though greatly to our surprise 

 we discovered, that, the bump or knob, was in fact a modified spine — an accu- 

 mulation of strictly osseous fibre — or bone, having on the upper side, near the 

 posterior end, a very small, but distinct and beautifully serrated and ribbed 



