MALACOPTERYGII ABDOMINALES. 231 



whose upper edge is wholly formed by the intermaxillaries, and 

 where the small and dentated maxillaries only occupy the commis- 

 surej the tongue and palate are smooth, and the adipose fin is covered 

 with small scales, as is the greater portion of the caudal. They in- 

 habit the Nile. 



Some of them have very small teeth in the upper jaw only, and an 

 elevated body as in Serrasalmus; the abdomen however is neither 

 trenchant nor indented.; 1) 



Others have several compact rows of numerous slender teeth, 

 forked at the end, in both jaws; their form is more elongated. (2) 



Saurus, Cuv. 



A short snoutj the mouth deeply cleft, opening far behind the 

 eyes; edge of the upper jaw wholly formed by the intermaxillaries; 

 sharp pointed teeth along the jav/s, palatines, tongue, and pharyn- 

 geals, but none on the vomer; eight or nine and frequently twelve or 

 fifteen rays in the branchice. The first dorsal is a little behind the 

 ventrals, which are large; scales on the body, cheeks, and oper- 

 cula; viscera similar to those of a Trout. They are salt water fishes, 

 and extremely voracious. 



One of them, ^S". sauriis, L., Salv., 242, is found in the Me- 

 diterranean. (3) The lake of Mexico produces a second, S. 

 mexicanus, Cuv., which is nearly transparent. A third equally 

 diaphanous, with very long flexible teeth, some of which have 

 a sagittiform termination, an extremely short- snout and very 



(1) The Serrasahne cltharine, or Night-Star of the Arabs, Geoff., Poiss. d'Eg., 

 pi. V, f. 2 and 3, {Citharinus Geoffrcei, Ciiv. ); Salmo cyprino'ides, Gronov., Mas., 

 p. 378. 



(2) The Characin nefasch, Geoff., lb., f. 1, ov Salmo aagyptius, Gm; it Is the 

 Salmo niloticus of Hasselquist, very different from that of Forskahl, which is the 

 raii. 



(3) Add; S. saiirus, 131., 384, v/hich appears to me to differ from the Mediter- 

 ranean species; ;S'a/mo fatens, Bl., 384, 2; -S". tumbil, Bl. 400; the Osmere 

 galonne, Lac, V, vi, 1; the Sulmone varie. Id., V, iii. 3; the Osmere a bandes, 

 Risso, Ed. I, p. 326; S. hadi, Cuv., {Badi motta) Russel, 172; Salmo myops, 

 Forster, Bl. Schn. p. 421; S. minutus, Lesueur, Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad., V, parti, 

 pi. V; S. conlrostris, Spi'x, XLIII; S. intermedius. Id., XLIV; S. truncatus, Id., 

 XLV, and several new species to be described in our Icthyolog-y. N.B. The 

 Esox synodus, Gronov., Zooph., VII, 1, Synodus synodus, Schn., Synode fasce, 

 Lac, appears to be nothing more than a Saurus which had lost its adipose fin; 

 its extreme smallness renders it easily effaced by friction or desiccation. 



