Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 725 



habits, as well as in the dorsal and anal finlets. The significance of 

 this resemblance is unknown. {Scombresocidxe, part, Gtinther, Cat., vi, 



2.5(5-259,1866.) 



«. Jaws inoduioil in a very slender, ijointed beak, longer in the adult than rest of head. 



SCOMBRESOX, 330. 

 cm. Jaws jiroduced in a short beak, aboiit half length of rest of head. OoloLabis, 331. 



330. SCOMBRESOX, Lacepede. 



(Sauries.) 



Scombresox, Lacepede, Hist. Xat. Poiss., v, 344, 1803, (camperi). 



Saijri'!, Rafinesque, Caralteri Nuovi Generi, etc., 60, 1810, {recurinrostra = camperi). 



Grammiconotus, Costa, Annuario Mus. Zool. Napoli, 1862, 55, (bicolor = sei-raia). 



Characters of the family as given above, but having both jaws more or 

 less prolonged, forming a slender beak, the lower jaw the longer. Young 

 with the jaws short, precisely as in the genus Cololahis, but lengthen- 

 in"- with age, which is not the case in Cololabis. Air bladder large.* 

 Atlantic. (Scomber; Esox.) 



1075. SCOMBRESOX SAURUS (Walbaum). 

 (Saury; Skipper; Billfisii.) 



Head 3* ; depth 9. D. 9-VI ; A. 12-VI ; scales 110. Head broad above, 

 narrowed below, tapering anteriorly to the very slender, pointed 

 beak ; snout longer than the rest of the head, proportionately shorter in 

 the young; lower jaw longer. Fins all small; caudal tin forked; ventrals 

 midway between base of caudal and front of eye. Air bladder large. 

 Olive brown above, sides and below silvery ; a distinct silvery band, as 

 broad as the eye, bounding the dark of the back. Length 18 inches. 

 Temperate parts of the Atlantic Ocean ; rather common, in schools, on 

 both coasts, especially north of Cape Cod and France ; found in the open 

 seas.t ()Sa «r MS, ffaiipof, lizard.) (Eu.) 

 Esox saurus, Walbaum, Artedi Pise, iii, 93, 1792, Cornwall; after the Saury Pike of Pennant, 



Arctic Zoology. 

 Scomhrestox camperi, Lac£p£de, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, .345, 1803, locality unknown; t\)Uiid in 



collection of Mr. Camper in Holland. 

 Saijris recurvirostra, Rafinesque, Caratteri, etc., 61, 1810; substitute for camperi. 

 Sayrishiam, Rafinesque, i". c, 61, Palermo. 

 Sayris bimaculaius, Rafinesque, I. c, 62, Palermo. 



* A nominal species, Scombresox serratiis (= S. rondekti = G. bicolor) has been described from the 

 Mediterranean, and is said to have no air bladder. Dr. LUtken (Spolia Atlantica, 567) is un.able to 

 verify this ibaracter and doubts its existence. An excellent account of the changes in develop- 

 ment in Scombnsox and other pelagic genera is given in this paper of LUtken. 



f When pnrsiied by the Tunny or Mackerels "multitudes mount to the s\irface, and crowd on 

 e.arli other as they press forward. AVhen still more closely pursued they spring to the height of 

 several feet leap" over each other in singular confusion, and iigain sink beneath. Still turther 

 urged, tbey'mount again and rush along the surface, by reiieated starts, for more than one hun- 

 dred feet, without once dijiping beneath, or scarcely seeming to touch the water. At last the 

 pursuer springs after them, usuallv across their course, and again they all disappear together. 

 Amidst such nniltitudes— for more than 20,000 have been judged to be out of the water together 

 —some must fall a prey to the enemy; but, so many hunting in company, it must be Uing before 

 the pursuers abandon. From inspection we could scarcely Judge the fish to be capable of such 

 flights, for the fins, though numerous, are small, and the pectoral far from large, thougli the 

 angle of their articulation is well adapted to raise the fish, by the direction of their motions, to 

 the surface." — Goode 



