Ill 



BLACK STROMAT. 



Stromateus Niger. S. totus nigricans. 

 Stromat entirely of a blackish colour. 



Stromateus niger maxillis aequalibus. Block. 12. p. 85. t. 422. 



Greatly allied to the former in shape, but the 

 mouth is placed in the usual manner, the upper 

 part of the muzzle not rising above it, as in that 

 species : the colour of the whole animal is blackish, 

 with a silvery cast about the breast and sides of the 

 head : the scales are small, and the lateral line, as 

 in others of the genus, is curved in the direction of 

 the back. Native of the Indian seas: not much 

 esteemed as an article of food, on account of a 

 popular prejudice entertained against it from its 

 colour, as well as from its feeding on onisci, which 

 are occasionally found in its mouth. 



It may be observed that there is a considerable 

 degree of general resemblance between the habit of 

 the genus Stromateus and that of Chaetodon; but 

 as the Stromats are destitute of ventral fins, they 

 cannot be placed in the same artificial order, and 

 must rank among the Apodes. The same is the 

 case with some other genera, which are naturally 

 allied to fishes placed in very different orders. This 

 forms the greatest objection to the Linncean arrange- 

 ment of Fishes : it would however be difficult to 

 prove that a more natural distribution would lead 

 to a readier investigation of the animals. 



