346 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OP 



sending off bars transversely above and below, sometimes opposite 

 each other, sometiaies alternate, occasionally branching and anasto- 

 mosing. Beneath greenish or yellowish white. Iris purphsh brown, 

 with a golden interior ring. 



Dorsal and caudal fins plain olive, tinged with red. A. V. P. pink — 

 this color becoming rather deeper after death. Length, 10 inches. 

 Abundant in Cedar Swamp creek. Specimens of considerably larger 

 size were taken. 



45. ESOX RETICULATUS, LcS. 



PicTierd. 



Esox rcticulaius, Les. — DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 223, plate 



xxxiv, fig. 107. 



Rather rare in Cedar Swamp creek. Associated with E.fasciatus. 



46. Belone trunx'ata, Les. 



The Bill-Fish— Sea-Pike— Silver Gar-Fish, ^c. 



Belone truncata, Lesueur. — DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 227, 



plate XXXV, fig. 112. 



Color. — Back dark green ; sides opaque silvery white ; beneath 

 dull white — the lines of separation between these colors very distinct ; 

 cornea green ; iris silvery ; fins subtransparent, with fine punctations 

 of greenish on the membrane, much thickest on the D. and C; length, 

 8 inches. 



The silver gar made its appearance, in August, in considerable num- 

 bers, though of quite small size. It was found in the shallow bays and 

 creeks — more abundantly in the slues on the beach, keeping in com- 

 pact bodies, and swimming slowly along. 



This species is fond of running up into fresh water during the sum- 

 mer, and is often taken a considerable distance from the ocean. I 

 have seen them in the village of Riverhead, Long Island ; and they are 

 at times quite abundant off" the city of Washington. They have been 

 seen at Columbia, Pennsylvania, in the Susquehanna. They some- 

 times are taken with a hook, although such an occurrence is quite rare. 

 When of large size, their flesh is of excellent flavor. 



47. Saurus mexicanus, Cuv. 



Saurus mexicanus, Cuv., Regne Anim. — (Griff*, transl.) X, 431. 



A single specimen of this fish was taken in a seine in the river. 

 Although abundant off'the southern coast, it is rarely seen so far to the 



