138 EUROPEAN HALFBEAK, 



it differs from those of the Garfish, which are proportionally 

 shorter, wider, and not pointed; the fin-rays nine. Dorsal and 

 anal fins far behind and opposite, reaching to the origin of the 

 tail; but in the examples received from Mr. Martin, the anal 

 was a little in advance of the dorsal; rays in the former nineteen, 

 in the anal twenty-two. Tail concave. In Mr. Martin's fishes 

 the upper jaw was arched or humped where it joined the head, 

 which was not the case with other examples. The elevated 

 line of scales which passes along the border of the belly on each 

 side in the Garfish is not visible, even with the aid of a lens, 

 in this Halfbeak. 



The special use of the remarkable formation of the jaws in 

 this fish can only be guessed at; but the observations of Mr. 

 Swainson seem to be appropriate: "It is a remarkable circum- 

 stance that we have a genus of birds equally unique in its 

 own class, where the mouth is similarly constructed; in Rhyncops, 

 or Skimming Terns, the upper jaw in fact is considerably shorter 

 than the lower; and these birds skim along the surface of 

 the sea to feed upon those minute animals which are only to 

 be found there. This well-authenticated fact throws considerable 

 light upon the probable habits of these fishes," which we are 

 led to believe, "habitually feed much in the same manner." It 

 was particularly noticed in the little example while alive that 

 the upper jaw only was seen to move. 



