354 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



:uid opercles in about 8 rows. Colordark gray; sides with round blackish, 

 spots on a ground color of grayish silvery; belly white; fins spotted 

 with black. Head 3% ; depth C. B. 18 ; D. 17 ; A. 1 5 ; Lat. 1. 150. L. 4 

 to 8 feet. A magnificent fish, by far the largest of its family, found in 

 the Great Luke region and northward. 



( F.xox cxior Dekay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 222, ami of various authors, not of Le Sucur; 

 Thomson. 1'roe. Host. Soe. Nat. Hist. 1850, iii, 163; Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat.Mus. x, 54, 

 and of most late writers.) 



ORDER O. APODES.* 



(The Eels.) 



Scapular arch free behind the cranium; no praecoracoid arch. Air- 

 bladder, if present, with a pneumatic duct. Ventral fins wanting. 

 Maxillary and premaxillary more or less connate with other bones or 

 with each other, sometimes entirely wanting. Pharyngeal and oper- 

 cular apparatus often deficient. Vertebra? in increased number. Ver- 

 tical fins withbut spines, usually confluent around the tail. Gill-open- 

 ings usually narrow, separated by a broad isthmus, sometimes close to- 

 gether or confluent. JSTo pseudobranchiae. Body eel-shaped ; naked, 

 or with rudimentary scales. 



As here understood, this order includes most of the old order of 

 Apodcs, excluding as separate orders the Glanenclieli (Gymnotidos) and 

 I he Ichtlvyocephali (Monopteridce). It thus includes the Holostomi, En- 

 chclycephali, and ColoccpJiali of Cope, which may be united provision- 

 ally until the osteology of various aberrant forms is made known, (a, 

 privative; -<>bs, foot.) 



.(Symbranohidce and Mnrcenidas Giiuthcr, viii, 12-145.) 



ANALYSIS OF FAMILIES OF APODES. 



' v iit much behind head; jaws not greatly produced; dorsal without spines. 

 t Muscular and osseous systems well developed. 

 a. 1'reopercle wanting; lower pharyngeals wanting; gill-openings very small, 



Mri:.i;xiP/E, 52. 

 aw. 1'reopercle ]resent ; lower pharyngcals present. 



l>. <; ill-openings well separated AXGUILLTH.i:, .".:'.. 



///). (.ill openings iioiit.ijiiioiis; mouth very larjje, with small, sliarji n-eili. 



SYXAIMTI )iu: \\cui D K, 54. 



tt Muscular and osseous systems feebly developed; gape very wide*; stomach ex- 

 tremely disieiisible SACCOPHAKVXCID.I;, 55. 



** Vent under (In- pectorals; both ja\vs jirodnced into a very slender beak; body ex- 

 tremely slender; middle of dorsal with spines Ni'.MlcilTHYiD.K, 56. 



"Called EnohtHyoephatt in (he analytical table on page bJ 



