36 TELEOSTKI : IIALECOMORPIII. — X. 



round black 8pots, ilisliiu-t in yoiin^; vcn vonnji with })lack lateral 

 band. J>en(!;tli of snout 1 j to '20 times its least width; large teeth 

 of upper jaw in one row in the adult. Head 3 in length. 1). 8, 

 A. 9, V. 6, P. 10. Lat. 1. 62. L. 5 feet. Great Lakes to Carolina 

 and Mexico; abundant. (Lat., bony.) 



an. lieiik shorter and broader, the snout not much lonp^r than rest of lu-ad. 

 A. Lur^fc tuoth of ujiper jaw in one row on each side in adult: (an additional 

 row on the palatines sometimes present in young.) 



45. L. platystomus Kafmesciue. Shokt-noskd Gah-Pike. 

 Snout usually 1 to 1 J times rest of head, its length 5 to 6 times its 

 least width. Head 3^ in length, otherwise almost exactly as in 

 L. osseus, the color rather darker, the size smaller. L. 3 feet. 

 Miss, valley, etc., less common N. (nXarus, flat ; arofxa, mouth.) 



bb. Lar<re teeth of upper jaw in two series, the inner along outer edge of 

 palatines. 



46. L. tristoechus (Rloch & Schneider). Allig.vtok Gar. 

 IVlAN.ifAiu. Snout usually shorter than rest of head, its least 

 width .'{^ in its length, otherwise essentially like the others; but 

 reaching an enormous size. L. 10 feet. Ills, to Mexico and Cuba, 

 (rptf, three ; oTot;(or, row.) 



Order X. HALEC03I0RPHI. (The Bow-fins.) 



This group, characterized on page 26, contains a single family 

 among recent fishes. (Lat. halrc, herring ; ixop(\)q., form.) 



Family XXIII. AMIID^. (The Bow-kins.) 



Body oblong, robust, with thick cycloid scales. Head sub- 

 conical, bluntish, covered above by a very hard bony helmet; 

 lateral margins of upper jaws formed by the niaxillaries, wliich are 

 divided Itv a lengthwise suture. Mouth horizontal, its cleft extend- 

 ing beyond the small eye ; lower jaw broad, a broad bony striated 

 gular plate placed between its rami; premaxillaries not protractile; 

 jaws each with an outer series of conical teeth, behind them in the 

 lower a band of rasp-like teeth ; small teeth on vomer, palatines, 

 and pterygoids ; anterior nostril with a short barbel ; cheek with 

 a bony shield. B. 10 to 12. No pseudobranchiir, nor opercidar 

 gill; two lanceolate striate appendages on each side of isthmus; 

 gill rakers very short, stout. Lateral line jtresent. Dorsal fm 

 long and low, nearly uniform ; no fulcra; anal fin short ; tail hete- 

 rocercal. Vert<'br:e double-convex, as usual among fishes. Air- 

 bladder, somewhat as in the I)ij>noi and I'xitrnrhia, c»-lhilar, bifid in 

 front, connected by a glottis with the j)harynx. No closed ovi- 

 duct ; no pyloric ccrca. One species known, in the lakes and slug- 

 gish waters of North America, — a voracious fish, remarkably 

 teDacious of liTr, .unl wiili soft and pasty flesh. 



