252 



SCOMBRESOCIDiE. 



38. Belone gracilis. 



? Belone gracilis, Loice, Proc. Zoul. Soc. 1839, p. 86, and Traits. Zool. 

 Soc. iii. p. 13. 

 Closely allied to B. euxini and B. acus, but vnih. the head longer. 

 D. 17. A. 21. P. 12. 



The free portion of the tail is compressed, much deeper than broad. 

 The length of the head is contained twice and three-fourths in the 

 total (without caudal) ; its upper siu'face flat, without median groove; 

 superciliary and parietal regions striated ; base of the intermaxUla- 

 ries convex, slightly compressed ; maxillary entirely hidden by the 

 priEorbital. Teeth small, but considerably larger than in B. acus ; 

 vomerine teeth none. Upper jaw much shorter than lower. The 

 diameter of the eye equals the width of the interorbital space, and 

 is two-fifths of the length of the postorbital portion of the head. 

 Eody compressed, its depth being somewhat less than the length of 

 the pectoral fin, the length of which is more than the distance of 

 the opercular margin from the orbit. Ventral fin nearly midway 

 between the root of the caudal and the opercular margin. The 

 middle and hinder dorsal and anal rays subequal in length, short, 

 the last terminating at a considerable distance from the root of the 

 caudal. Caudal fin forked. Scales very thin and deciduous, utc- 

 gular and small. 



Coast of Portugal ; ? Madeira. 



a. Eighteen inches long. Lisbon. 



h. Ten inches long. From the Haslar Collection. 



c. Eleven inches long. Purchased of Mr. Damon. 



39. Belone euxini. 



Esox belone. Pall. Zoogr. Ross.- As. iii. p. 337. 



? Belone rostrata, Nordm. in Demid. Voy. Puss. 3ferid. iii. p. 314, 



pi. 25. fig. 1 ; Kessler, Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 1859, ii. p. 454 (not 



Faher). 



D. 17. A. 21. P. 12. 



The free portion of the tail compressed, deeper than broad. The 

 length of the head is a little less than one-third of the total (with- 

 out caudal) ; its upper surface without median groove ; superciliary 

 and parietal regions striated ; base of the intermaxillaries convex, 

 slightly compressed, maxUlary nearly entirely hidden by the prae- 

 orbital. Teeth small, but considerably larger than in B. acus; 

 vomerine teeth none. Upper jaw much shorter than lower. The 

 diameter of the eye equals the width of the interorbital space, and 

 is two-fifths of the length of the postorbital portion of the head. 

 Body compressed, its depth being nearly equal to the length of the 

 pectoral fin, the length of which is a little less than the distance of 

 the opercular margin fi-om the orbit. Venti-al fin nearly midway 

 between the root of the caudal and the opercular margin. The 

 middle and hinder dorsal and anal rays subequal in length, short, 

 the last terminating at a considerable distance from the root of the 



