CLASS Y. PISCES: ORDER 3. TELEOSTEA. 
441 
THE SEA-BEEAM. 
THE BLACK BREAM. 
taken with hook and line in deep Avater on our coasts ; is shy and waiy, and battles bravely 
when caught. It is sometimes taken 
with the line in the shallow bays of Long 
Island. Its flesh is in the very first rank 
with epicures. Its range is from Cape 
Cod to the Mississippi. 
The Sand Porgee, S. arenosus, six 
inches long, is palatable food; caught 
in seines on the south side of Lono" Island 
Sound. 
The Rhomboidal Porgee, >S^. rliom- 
boides, is three to live inches long, and is 
common on our southern coast. 
THE CH^TODONTIDJE. 
This is a very numerous family, the 
species being generally of small size ; the 
form is exceedingly compressed, the body 
wide and short, resembling that of the flat- 
fishes, though they SAvim upright in the 
water ; the eyes are placed on each side of 
the head, and both sides of the body are 
similarly colored. The mouth is usually 
small and furnished with bristle-like teeth. 
They are generally delicate and well flavored, and are noted for the brilliancy of their coloring. 
Genus BRAMA : Brama. — This includes the Ray's Bream, B. Raii, from one foot to two feet 
six inches long ; common in the Mediterranean, and occasionally found in the British seas. Its 
flesh is highly esteemed. It is the only European species. 
Germs CH^ETODON": Chcetodon. — This includes the Wandering Ch^todoi^, C. vaf/abu7idtis, 
twelve inches long, body of a pale 
yellow color, Avith numerous oblique, 
brownish-purple lines. Inhabits the 
coasts of Ceylon. 
Genus Chelmon : Chchnon. — To 
this belongs the Fly-Shooter, G. ros- 
tratus, inhabiting the fresh waters of 
India and the Asiatic Islands. It feeds 
upon insects, and is remarkable for its 
mode of procuring them. When it 
observes a fly, or any other insect on 
a weed, or hovering over the Avater, 
it ejects a little drop through its tu- 
bular snout with such precision as 
frequently to disable the little animal, 
so that it falls into the water and is 
devoured. In countries where this 
fish abounds, it is frequently kept in 
vessels of Avater, and affords much 
entertainment by the dexterity dis- 
played in shooting at the flies, Avhich 
are placed on the vessel for the purpose ; it generally approaches to Avithin five or six inches 
before the drop of Avater is ejected. A Javanese species, the Toxotes jaculator, exhibits the same 
Vol. II.— 56 
THE WANDEEING CH^TODON. 
