impossible to take it in any other way than with the seine or ave- 

 ry strong hook, the proncjs of the gig cannot pierce the scales 

 which are as hard as flint, and even proof against lead balls! Its 

 flesh is not good to eat. It is a voracious fioh: lis vulgar names 

 are Diamond fish, (owing to its scales being cut like diamonds) 

 Devil fish. Jack fish, Garjack, Sec. The snout is large, convex 

 above, very obtuse, the eyes small and bluck, nostrils small 

 round before the eyes, mouth beneath the eyes, transversal with 

 large angular teeth. Pectoral and abdominal fins trapezoidal. 

 Dorsal and anal fins equal longitudinal with many rays. Tail 

 obtusely and regularly bilobed. The whole body covered with 

 large stone scales laying in oblique rows, tl^ey are conical, pen- 

 tagonal, and pentaedral with equal sides, from half an inch to 

 one inch in diameter, brown at first, but becoming of the col- 

 our of turtle shell when dry: they strike fire with steel! and are 

 ball proof! 



THIRD PART.— APODIAL FISHES. 



Having complete gills, with a gill cover and a branchial 

 membrane. No lower or ventral fins. 



XXX. Genus. Eel. Anguilt.a. Anguille. 



Body scaleless, elongated. Mouth with small tccih. PS&; 

 toral fins. Dorsal and anal fins very long and united with the 

 caudal fins. Vent nearly medial. Gill covers bridled. 



It is remarkable that there is only this apodial genus of fish, 

 and not a single jugular genus, in the Ohio, while there are so 

 many abdominal and thoracic genera. The Eels of the Ohio 

 of which I have already ascertained four species belong all to 

 the subgenus Conger, having the jaws nearly equal and ob- 

 tuse. They are permanent, but rare, and reach a large size. 

 They are taken with the hook, seines, Sec. They feed on small 

 fishes, shells, and lobsters, and afford a good food. 



92d Species. Broadtail Eel. Anguilla laticauda, An- 

 guille largequeue. 



Black above, white beneath, head flattened, jaws nearly equal, 

 the upper Somewhat longer, obtuse and broad. Dorsal fin be- 

 ginning above the pectorals, which are small and oboval; late- 



