Vides concave and the two outward sides convex, lying in ob^ 

 iiquc rows, surface smooth and convex. Head scaleless, hard, 

 und bony, eyes behind the base ot the jaws, iris large gilt with 

 a brown stripe across, centre or real eyes small and black. Jaws 

 short, broad, flat and obtuse, breadth about one fifth of the 

 length, the upper one putting over the lower one and with four 

 small nostrils at the end, motionless and with three longitudinal 

 furrows. Thelower jaw mov-cable, soft in the middle. Teeth 

 white, unequal, acute, strong, and upon a single row. Tongue 

 bilobed cartilaginous and rough. Branchial with 8 rayfi, jut- 

 ting out and gilt. Pectoral fins yellow with 12 rays, situated 

 directly behind the gill covers and elliptical acute. Abdomi- 

 nal fins yellow, obliquely oboval obtuse and with T rays. Anal 

 and dorsal fins oval nearly equal and acute, each with 8 rays 

 the anterior of which is serrated, yellowish olivaceous and spot- 

 ted with brovt'D, the dorsal beginning behind the beginning of 

 the anal. Space between those fins and the tail attenuated. 

 Tail or caudal fin four inches long, oblong oboval, entire ob- 

 tuse, base obliqual, the lower part decurrent, with twelve rays, 

 the upper one serrated, yellowish olivaceous spotted with small 

 iTnequal brown spots. Lateral line concealed under the scales, 

 hardly visible outside. This fish bears (together with the fol- 

 lowing) the names of Gar, Garfish, Alligator Gar, Alligator 

 fish. Jack or Gar Pike, &c. and on the Mississippi the French 

 names of Brocheteau^ Picaneaii, Poisson caymon, Bzc. 



87th Species. White Garfish. Le/iisosteus Albus. Lep- 

 isoste blanc. 



Jaws nearly equal, as long'as the head, about one eighth of to- 

 tal length, and very broad; body cylindrical and white, fins oli- 

 Taceous unspotted, tail obtuse oblong, lateral line obsolete. 



This fish resembles very much the foregoing, and has the 

 geiieral shape of a Pike. It is covered all over with white shin- 

 ing obliqual eliptical smooth and convex scales. It reaches 

 the length of six feet, and is often called Garpike or Pike-gar. 

 It is a rare fish in the Ohio. Jaws shorter and broader than ia 

 Ihe foregoing, breadth one fourth of the length. 



88th Species. Ohio Garfish. Le/iisoateus oxyurus. Lep- 

 isoste oxynre. 



