204 ORDER ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



cipally differ, because their dorsal is less extended in 

 length, and because their ventrals are well developed ; 

 their anal is long ; their scales are so fine that they 

 are scarcely perceivable but when the skin is dried ; 

 there are none on the fins ; there are seven rays to 

 their gills ; their pelvis has a spine between the ven- 

 trals, and there are some small trenchant laminae in 

 front of the dorsal, whose base has a spine directed 

 horizontally. 



Their skeleton presents one great singularity ; the 

 ribs are dilated, convex, and form rings which are in 

 contact with each other, thus enclosing a conical and 

 empty space, which extends beneath the tail in the 

 inferior rings of the vertebras, in a long and thin tube 

 which contains the natatory bladder. The Kurtus 

 Indicus, Bl. 169. is very probably the female of the 

 Kurtus cornutus, or Somdrum-Kara-Mottee of Russell, 

 a fish very remarkable for a little cartilaginous and 

 curved horn, which rises from the first of the small 

 trenchant blades before the dorsal. 



Coryph^na, Lin., Vulg. Dorado. 



The body compressed, elongated, covered with 

 small scales ; upper part of the head trenchant ; a 

 dorsal extending the whole of the back, composed of 

 rays almost equally flexible, although there is no 

 articulation to the anterior ones ; seven rays in the 

 gills. 



Coryph^n^ (proper), Cuv., 



Have the head very much elevated, the profile curved 



