444 ORDER MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMINALES. 



Butirinus, Commerson, 



Have, with jaws composed like those of the herrings, 

 and the body elongated and rounded, like elops and 

 megalops, the muzzle prominent as in the anchovies, 

 the mouth but slightly cleft ; close and even teeth in 

 the jaws ; twelve or thirteen rays to the gills ; and, 

 what constitutes their most distinguishing character, 

 the tongue, vomer, and palatines paved with rounded 

 teeth, set closely together. 



They are also to be found in both oceans. The 

 elopes and butirini are handsome, silvery fishes, with 

 several small bones, and numerous cceca, which grow 

 very large. These fishes make excellent broth ! . 



Chirocentrus, Cuv., 



Have, like the herrings, the edge of the upper jaw 

 formed in the middle by the intermaxillaries and on 



1 The Butirin. banane, of Commerson, Lacep. v. 45., which is 

 also his Synode renard, Id. V. pi. viii. f. 2., or Esox vulpes, Linn., 

 Catesb. ii. 1. 2. Copied Encycl. 294. is a fish of the Atlantic Ocean 

 on the coasts of America, the same as the Ubarana of Marcgrave, 

 Braz. 154., or Clupea Brasiliensis, Bl. Schn., as the Amia of Browne; 

 as the Albula gonorhyncus, Bl. Schn. p. 423., or Albula Plumieri, 

 Id. pi. lxxxvi. ; as the Clupee macrocephale, Lacep. V. xiv. l.,and as 

 the Macabi, Parra, pi. xxxv. f. 4., or Amia immaculata, Bl. Schn. 

 451. Spix has two of them, pi. xxiii. 2. and xxiv. The Butirinus of 

 the Indies is the Argentina glossodonta Forsk., or Argentina bonuk, 

 Lacep., the Esox argenteus, Forst. ap. Bl. Schn. 396. Having only 

 seen the American species, I am as yet insufficiently acquainted with 

 the distinguishing characters of these latter. 



