378 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



ray of pectoral divided, third ray longest. Ventral fins not reaching 

 nearly to vent. Dorsal inserted a little in advance of front of anal, its 

 anterior rays not half so long as the head ; 20 scales in front of dorsal 

 and (5 bet \\ven dorsal and lateral line. Gill rakers long and slender. 

 11, ad 1; depth :>\. D. 13; A. 13. Lat. 1. 4l; Vert. 2o + 19. In most 

 warm seas, not rare on our Atlantic eoast, where it spawns in summer. 



(EsoKitu* rrohiii* L. Syst. Nat. i, 5'21 : /,Vw<//* cvolans Giintbor, vi, '2&2: Exococius 

 f minus Liitken, Yidensk. Moddel. Naturh. Forcn. 137G, 1O2 ; YVeiulaud, 1. c.) 



. II. oMusflH'OSlris (Giiutber) J. &, G. 



Very similar to //. cvolans, but with the dorsal fin inserted above or 

 behind the lirst ray of the anal; the distance from the snout to the fir>t 

 ray of the ventrals less than the distance between the root of the ven- 

 trals and la.xt ray of the dorsal ; 7 to 8 rows of scales above the lateral 

 line: fins more distinctly marked. D. 13; A. 13. Lat. 1. 40. (Lift ken.) 

 Tropical seas, north to Louisiana. 



<>!it>iNirxtrix (JUnthcr, vi, IW3: Exococtus obtusirostris Llitken, Vidonsk. 

 Meddcl. Naturli. Foren. 1870, W2.) 



185 . EXOCOSTUS Lhmicus. 

 Fly ing -fishes. 



(Artedi; Linn.-i-u-i.Sy~t. Nat.: typo Exoccctus rolitaii* L.) 



Body elongate, broad above, somewhat compressed. Head short, 

 blunt, narrowed below. Month small. -Taws very short, about equal. 

 Chin without barbel. Maxillaries not joined to the premaxillaries. 

 Teeth very feeble or Avanting. Eyes large. Gill-rakers moderate. 

 Scales lar-e, deciduous. No linlets. Dorsal fin short, opposite anal. 

 Caudal widely forked, the lower lobe the longer. Pectoral fins very 

 long, reaching past the beginning of the anal, and serving as organs of 

 ilight, their great si/.e enabling these fishes to sustain themselves in tin- 

 air for some time.* Ventral fins large, posteriorly inserted, also iiM-d 

 a> organs <>f ilight. Air-bladder very large. No pyloric eo?ea. Species 

 numerous in aU'warm seas. (i^M/.u-.m-^ sleeping out; the ancient name 

 Of these fishes, which v, ere supposed to COU1C Out OD the beach to sleep 

 af night ) 



"Tin-si 1 li-li'"-- an- maM'-d \ sii-,t;!iii 1 lii-iiist-l vrs in tin 1 air fur upwards of a minute. 

 Tli'-ir inoM-nirnts an- r\rc.-din^ly rapid. Tlu-ir impulse, apparent 1\ , roinrs mainly 

 1 1 mil 1 1n- strung tail, \vliirli li:i> a smiling motion in t In- \\atcr, l>\ which tln-y ai-ipiire 

 :i -n-a; vrlority. Wln-ii tln'.v tir.sl rmrr^.- from the wati-r, tin- pectorals arc sjircad and 

 \ iliratc rapidly, like t In- win^s of an insect, and t lie vent rals arc closed. The motion 

 of the pectoral is >i inn !t am-oiis with tin- in. .lion of tin-tail, and i> probably cans, d l>y 

 tin- latter. When they reach a lioi i/out.-il jiosi t ion in t he air, the pectorals and vcn- 

 an- spn-ad, and apparently used only to retain tin- impulse previously received. 



