146 



BELONE. 



The ventral fins abdominal. Tiodj lengthened, slender; both jaws 

 lengthened, slender, with teeth along their sides. Dorsal and anal fins 

 far behind, and no finlets. A line of raised scales along each side of 

 the belly. 



GARFISH. 



LONGNOSE. HORNBEAK. 



Acus Oppiani, Acus alia, Jonston; Table 15, f. 17. 



WiLLOUGHBY; p. 231, Table P. 2. 

 Esox belone, Linn^us. Bloch; pi. 33. 



Donovan; pi. 64. 



Belone vulgaris, Cuvier. Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 1 84. 



♦ Jenyns ; Manual, p. 418. 



" Yarrell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 442. 



« 



On the coast of Cormvall this fish is common at all seasons, 

 as also in the Mediterranean, and more sparingly, according to 

 jNIr. Lowe, at Madeira; but as spring advances it extends its 

 wanderings northward, so as to be known along the borders 

 of Scotland, Sweden, and Norway, in which latter country 

 Nilsson says it is a common remark that when the Garfish 

 appears in spring it is a sign of a dry summer. In the north, 

 however, its visit is only transitory, and it returns to the south 

 in winter. 



But W'herever found it is a restless and wandering species, 

 and having a quick digestion of food, it is always prepared 

 to seize a bait, w^hich it grasps with a j)eculiar action of its 

 protruded jaws, presently to be described; but as the action 

 of swallowing is not usually so sudden as in many other kinds 

 of fish, when the boat is passing on raj)idly under sail, the 



