188 ORDER ACANTHOPTERYG1I. 



Makaira, Lacep. 



Have the point and the two little crests of the tetrap- 

 turus, but no ventrals. " 



Only one has ever been seen, taken near the Isle 

 of Re, in 1802, (blackish makaira, Lacep., Xiphias ma- 

 kaira, Sh. *) 



Istiophorus, Lacep., Notistium, Herman. 



Have the beak and tail-crests like the tetrapturi, but 

 their dorsal is very elevated, and serves to catch the 

 wind when they swim ; their ventrals, long and slen- 

 der, consist of two rays. 



There are a few more species as yet imperfectly 

 determined, one of which of the Indian seas, {Scomber 

 gladius, Broussonet, Acad, des Sc. 178G, pi. x.) Xi- 

 phias velifer, Bl. Schn., Xiphias platisterus, Shaw, part 

 ii. p. 101., has been long since described 2 . 



All these fishes are very large. 



Centronotus, Lac, 

 Are one extensive genus of well defined scomberoides, 



1 It is not quite ascertained whether it was not a tetrapturus that 

 had lost its ventrals. The figure of M. de Lacep. IV. xiii. 3. is taken 

 from the rough drawing of a fisherman. 



2 It has also been represented by Nieuhoff, ap. Willughb. app. 

 pi. v. f. 9. by Renard,i. pi. xxxiv. f. 182. and 11. pi lvi. f. 233, by 

 Valentyn, No. 527. The Guebucu. Marcgr. 171. appears scarcely to 

 differ from the species of the Indies. Bl. 345, is a bad copy of a 

 figure by the Prince Maurice, which differed much less from that of 

 Marcgrave. 



* 



