280 SCl^NlD.E. 



b. Adiilt, America. 



c. Adult : stuffed. West Indies. ruixlui>ied of Mr. Scrivener. . 



d. Half-grown. 



e. Adult: skeleton. From the Collection of the Zoological Society, 

 /. Intestines of siiccimen t. 



The air-bladder iy oblong, with rather tliin membranes, without 

 any appendages or contractions ; in front it is obtxise, rounded, taper- 

 ing to a point beliind. The peritoiunim forms a similar sac round the 

 intestines, as in Scitena hicida, with a very linn stioictui'e, so that it 

 is not easily torn ; Imt there are no air-vessels between the laminae 

 forming this sac. 



The slceleton differs in several points from that of other Sv'uvnlda'. 

 The occipital crest is very elevated, and the liorizontal portion of it 

 is much wider than tlie vertical; it is continued nearly) to the anterior 

 extremity of tlie frontal bones, there being no single central cavity, 

 but on each side of the crest three grooves, separated from one another 

 by broad bony bridges. The anterior part of the infraorbital arcli is 

 broad, and has two rows of grooves. The arrangement of the re- 

 mainder of tlie muciferous channels is tlie same us in Sciana ama- 

 zonka. The upper maxillar) gradually widens posteriorly, but it 

 is not very broad at its extremity. The teeth form broad villiform 

 bands, without larger ones. The lower part of the skull globular ; 

 the occi])ital without cavities at the base of the crest. Urohyal short, 

 higli, and triangular. Clavicula with an anterior hook-like i)rocess. 

 Ten abdominal and fifteen caudal vcrlcbro', tlui caudal portion being 

 nearly twice as long as tlie alxhjminal. All the vertebra^ are very 

 compressed. It is a remarka1)le peculiarity of these fishes, observed 

 also by Cuvier, that all the iiiterneural si)iues of the spinous dorsal 

 are fixed between the neurals of the second and third vertel»nv. 

 Cuvier, who examined the skeleton oi' Erjucs jmnctal as, found them 

 between the third and fouilh. Nevertheless, these neural spines are 

 not much stronger than the following. Two of the interneurals of 

 the soft dorsal fin are always attached to one neural ; and one or two, 

 and postenorly even more, are intermediate, without being connected 

 with any of the neurals. The first interha-mal is of moderate strtmgth, 

 equal in lengtli to that of the third to eighth \crtebra^, and attached 

 to the ha)mals of the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth. 



2. Eques aciiminatus. 



Seba, in. pi. 2(). f. .'!.'». 



nrainniistcs aciuniiiatu.s, />/. i>'c/ut. jk 184, 



Eqiies lincalns, Cur. i)- Val. v. p. 1(!1). 



ucuniinatus, Caatcln. Aiiim. iidhc. oh rarcs de I' Ani6r. chi Sixi, 



p. 10. 



^^■^^\^o- A-f Vert. 11/14. 

 With six or .seven straight longitudinal bands. 

 Atlantic .shoies of Tropical America. 



a. Adidf. Ctib.i. Im'oiu the Colh'ction of the Zoological Society. 



