854 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



bb. Bnpraoottlar spines present, strong, directed forward. (Acanthoatracium Blcekcr.) 



1317. O. qiiadi'irorne L. Cow-fish; Cuckold. 



Color brown, yellow, blue, or green, with irregular blue blotches; the 

 centers of the scutes often lighter than the margins. Carapace trigonal ; 

 adults with a broad low ridge on each side of the back, the dorsal ridge 

 more elevated than in the young, which are somewhat tetragonal. Yen 

 tral surface nearly flat: angles of body cariuate; a stout spine directed 

 forwards over each eye; abdominal spines Hat, directed backward; me- 

 dian dorsal spine seldom present, never persistent; bridges behind dor- 

 sal and anal each ending in a flat spine; under side of caudal peduncle 

 with a free plate; carapace closed behind dorsal fin. Ilead-if; depth 

 2. D. 10; A. 10. Tropical parts of thft Atlantic; common on our coast 

 southward. 



(LimiiBiis, Syst. Nat. x, 331, 1758; Giiiither viii, 257; Goode, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas. 

 1.-79, 278.) 



FAMILY CXXVIIL BALISTID.E. 



(The Trigger-fishes.) 



Body oblong, or ovate, more or less compressed, covered with rough 

 scales or scutes of varying structure, the scutes not forming a carapace. 

 Mouth small, terminal, low; jaws short, each with one or more series of 

 separate incisor-like teeth; eye near the occiput ; preorbital very deep, 

 (lill-openings small, slit-like, above or in front of the pectoral lins. 

 Dorsal lins two, the anterior of one to three spines, the first spine high- 

 est ; second dorsal remote from the first, of many soft rays; caudal lin 

 rounded or forked; ventral lins wanting, their place sometimes occu- 

 pied l>y a single spine at the end of the very long, usually movable, 

 pubic, bone. Genera about, S; species about 100. Carnivorous ti.shes; 

 inhabitants of the warm seas. 



(linliniiitn . uioiip y.V(/i.x/i//, (Jiiiilhcr, viii, '.Ml -'.'55.) 



a. I >m-al spines three ; body covered \vitli thick scales or jilales. (HiiJixtiiin:} 



HAUSTKS. 477. 

 an. linrsal spine single m folloueil by ;i rudiment; skin \\iili minute, rou^h scales. 



(MiHKiritiltllhlil-. ) 



//. Ventral spine present: ^ill-slit sliurl. nearly vertical; anal rays almut ::it. 



M<N.\( AN i ins, 17-. 

 Hi. \'<iitral spine (pl.sul.-ii- ; ^ill-slit lonj,', ol>li(jiie ; anal rays about -K' t<i .Ml. 



AiUTKKA, 479. 



-177. BAHSTES Linnn-us. 



Trigger-fishes. 



(Arteili: I.innaMis, Systema Nat urn-. 175- : type i;,tlixl,* rihtlufi'L.) 



13od\ compressed, covered with thick, rough scales or plates. Both 



