172 FAMILIES OF SYNENTOGNATHOUS FISHES— GILL. vol. xviii. 



VII. 



As early as 1850, Prince Bonaparte of Canino had used the names 

 Belonidiv and Exocwtidw. In bis "Conspectus Systematis Piscium," 

 lie proposed the following division of tbe Esoces or Syuentognathi : 



Section VI. Phakyxgogxathi. 



Ordo 14. Esoces. 



68. Belouulae. 



160. Beloniui 6' 5 Med. Atl. Pac 80 



69. Exoccpiidae. 



161. ExocQitini 2- Med. Atl. Pac 40 



6 7 120'' 



It will be evident to one familiar with the status of ichthyology in 

 1850, that the families so named have quite different limits from those 

 later recognized. In fact, they are simply the subfamilies " Beloniui " 

 and "Exocetini" of Bonaparte's earlier systems, elevated to family 

 rank. The Beloniui were those with the pectorals normal (pinnne 

 pectorales congrufe) and jaws produced (mandibuhe longissima:', in 

 rostrum acutnm protractum); they thus included not only Belonidte as 

 I)roperly limited, but also Scomberesociuiv and Hemirhamphintc. The 

 Exoccetini were defined solely in the following terms: " Exoeetini. 

 Pinn;e pectorales maxim;e, volatui aptte." 



As Bonaparte had, in the same "Conspectus," used the name Luciidw 

 in place of Esocidtv for the pikes, it is almost certain that he had been 

 influenced by his knowledge of Kafinesque's work, and had adopted 

 the names given by him. 



YIII. 



In 1872 Gill, in his "Arrangement of the Families of Fishes," 

 divided the Syneutognaths into two families. 



Order SYNENTOGNATHI. 



139. Beloitidw Soomberesocida-, Gtlir., VI, 23:^,234-256. 



140. Scomheresocida' Scomberesocidic, CJthr., VI, 233,256-298. 



By these references, the family Belouidiie was limited to the genus 

 Belone, as recognized by Giinther, and Scomberesocidte to the genera 

 Scomberesox, Hemirhamphns, Arrhnmphiis iiw(\. Exoccetus, of the same 

 author. Gill was led to this classification by a consideration of the 

 relations of the intermaxillary and supramaxillary bones, and the devel- 

 opment of the characteristic supplementary bone of the lower jaw. 



' "Fossiles." - "Europ." ^ "Species viventes." 



