738 coxTRir.uTioxs to xorth American ichthyology — iv. 
in the air, like the true tiyiug-tish, but for shorter distauces. 
head; a/.a'jOa. spine.) .% 
% 
a. Occiput without filament. 
il2§. C. spiBaas'elHa (L.) Lac. — Flijing-rohin ; Bat-fish; Volador. 
Greenish olive and brown above, of varying shades; below pale, 
marked irregularly with dusky and bright brick-red, varying to salmon- 
yellow; pectoral tins mottled with bright blue streaks near the base, 
and blue spots and bars toward the tip; their under sides glaucous- 
blue, edged with darker; caudal fin with about three brownish-red bars; 
coloration extremely variable. First two dorsal spines free, slightly con- 
nected by membrane at base; preopercular spine reaching beyond base 
of pectorals, not to end of occipital spine; pectorals reaching nearly to 
base of caudal. Head 4^-; depth 54. 11. II-IV, 8; xV. C; P. 28, 6. L. 
12 inches. Atlantic Ocean, on both coasts; abundant southward. 
{Gasterosfeus spinaretia L. Syst. Xat. i, 492 (youug): Trfila voJitans Linn. Syst. Xat. 
i, 498 (adult): TrigJa voJitans Gmeliu, Syst. X^at. 1788, 1346: Dad ijlopl eras volitans 
Giiuther, ii, 221 : DadyJopterus roJitans Llitkeu Spolia Atlautica, 1880, 417 ; Guuther, 
ii, 224.) 
* Family OIX.— LIPARIDID^. 
{The Sea Snails.) 
Body more or less elongate, subcylindrical anteriorly, compressed 
behind, covered with smooth skiii, which is usually very lax. Head 
broad, obtuse, the snout short; snborbital bone styliforin behind. Joined 
to the preopercle, as in the Gottidce ; jaws with bands of small teeth, 
which are nsually tricuspid; no teeth on vomer or iialatines; premaxil- 
laries protractile, little movable; opercular bones unarmed; inter- 
opercle slender, ray-like, overlying the branchiostegals ; gill-openings 
small, the membranes joined to the broad isthmus, and to the humeral 
arch below. Gills 34; no slit behind the last; pseudobranchim rudi- 
mentary or wanting; pjdoric coeca numerous; no air-bladder; dorsal 
fin rather long, the spines feeble and flexible, low, similar to the soft 
rays; anal long, similar to. the soft dorsal; ventral fins I, 5, the two 
completely united, and forming the bony center of an oval sucking- 
disk; ventrals sometimes entirely wanting; i>ectoral fins very broad, 
the base procurrent; the outline usually emarginate, some of the lower 
rays being produced; tail diphycercal; caudal fin short, convex; ver- 
tebrrn 12 + 30. Genera 3; species about 20. Small fishes, nearly all of 
the northern seas. 
{DiscohoJi; groux> Liparidina Gunther, ill, 158-165.) 
