116 VERTEBRATES: FISHES. 



is a handsome fish, of fine flavor, and the sport of its 

 capture is very exciting. The Gar-Fish lives in the 

 sea, and has an extremely long head and body ; the 

 jaws are pointed, and armed with many small teeth, 

 and its bones are green. Flying Fishes have the fins, 

 which are directly behind the gills, so large that they 

 are able to sustain themselves in the air for a few mo- 

 ments, thus appearing to fly. They live in all warm 

 and temperate seas, and are from three inches to a foot 

 in length. The Blind Fish is found in the waters of 

 the Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, and is about three 

 inches long. Its eyes are under the skin, so that the 

 fish is perfectly blind, and thus adapted to the dark 

 waters of the cave. The Horned Pout, from six to ten 

 inches long, and common in ponds and sluggish streams, 

 has the head armed with sharp spines, which inflict a 

 smarting wound on the hand of the careless fisherman. 

 The Salmon is a most beautiful fish, whose home is 

 in the Arctic seas, but it comes southward and as- 

 cends rivers for the purpose of laying its eggs, and is 

 caught in large numbers. Its flesh is delicious, and it 

 weighs from ten to thirty pounds or more. The Lake 

 Trout inhabits our Northern lakes, and is from two 

 to five feet long, of a gray color with lighter spots. It 

 is sometimes called the Longe. The Brook, or Speckled 

 Trout, is found in most of the clear streams of the tem- 

 perate parts of North America, and is very beautiful, 

 being dark above, silvery below, and the sides dotted 

 with red and yellow. Its flesh is delicate. It is very 

 shy, and its capture often requires much skill. The 

 Herring lives in the Arctic seas, and comes southward 

 in spring to lay its eggs. It is about a foot long. The 

 Gar-Pike has a long body and long jaws, which have 



