228 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



equal to the distance between the origin of the dorsal and the base of the caudal fin : they 

 contain six rays. The anal similar in shape to the dorsal, and coterminal with it ; the first 

 ray short, triangular, subspinous ; the second and third longest ; after the seventh, the rays 

 are nearly equal : there are nineteen rays. The vent forms a sort of enlarged pouch, with a 

 large oblong aperture. Caudal cmarginate ; the lower lobe very slightly longest. 



Color, from a living specimen captured in September. Upper part of the body a beautiful 

 transparent sea-green, which becomes darker above the opercles and over the nostrils. Oper- 

 cles and sides of the body bright silvery. Abdomen beneath opaque white. A narrow dark 

 green band arises from the upper part of the angle of the opercle, and running towards the 

 tail, separates the color of the back from that of the sides. Margin of the preopercles deep 

 green. Pupils black ; irides silvery. 



Length, 22.0; of the head and jaws to the opercular margin, 7.0. 

 Fin rays, D. 16 ; P. 12 ; V. 6 ; A. 19 ; C. 19 §. 



I have adopted the name proposed by Lesueur, as I have very little doubt but that he had 

 the same species in view, although his notice is very imperfect, and his trivial name unmeaning. 

 I have examined many specimens, and have found in none the tail so unequal as his figure 

 would seem to indicate ; it was probably a deformed or mutilated specimen. 



I am disposed to believe the E. longirostris of Mitchill to have been intended also for this 

 species, but his description is too imperfect to render this certain. He observes, " It is said 

 to grow to the length of three or four feet, and is always an inhabitant of fresh water." 



The Gar-fish occurs on our coast chiefly in the latter part of summer and in the autumn, 

 from which I infer that it is a southern fish. I do not find it, however, among Dr. Holbrook's 

 drawings, nor among Parra's figures. Its farthest northern range hitherto observed has been 

 on the coast of Massachusetts, south of Cape Cod. It is highly prized by epicures. 



