100 TELEOSTEI : PERCESOCES. — XIX. 



113. MENIDIA I{(tnapartc. (An old n:une, from /xiyi^, moon.) 

 a. Scalu.s i-iilirc; sofl I), iind A. naki-d. 



6. Aiiiil ratliLT lon;^, its rays I, 22, to I, 25. 



247. M. notata (Mitchill). Common Silveuside. Fuiar. 

 Body slender ; transparent green ; scales speckled. Ilea4l r> ; 

 depth 6. D. IV-I, 8. Scales 46-10. L. 5. Maine to Va., very 

 common N. (Lat, marked.) 



bb. Anal rather short, I, 15, to I, 18. 



24<H. M. berylliua (Cojje). First D. over vent, nearer base C. 

 than snout. Head 4^ ; dej)th 6. D. "V-I, 11." L. 2i. Poto- 

 mac K., only the type known. (Lat., beryl-color.) 

 aa. Scales with ragi,'ed edges especially on back; soft D. and A. scalv. 



249. M, laciuiata Swain. Green ; back with dark points form- 

 ing streaks along rows of scales. Head 4f ; depth 5^. D. IV- I, 8. 

 A. I, ly to I, 21. Scales 50-7. L. 5. Va. to S. C. ; probably a 

 var. of M. vagrans Goode & Bean, S. C. to Texas, which has A. I, 

 14 to J, 18. (Lat., gaslu'd) 



114. LABIDESTHES Cope. (\a^is, a pair of forceps; 

 fadio), to eat.) 



250. L. sicculus Cope. Brook Silverside. Transhicent 

 green, back dotted; silver band very distinct; lK)dy verv slender ; 

 scales entire. Head 4^; depth 6. D. IV -L H. A. I, 2.J. Lat. 1. 

 75. L. 3^. Mich, to Perdido Bay and Kans., abundant in (juiet 

 ■waters; a most graceful little fish. (Lat., dry, i. e. found in half- 

 dry pools.) 



Family XLVI 11. SPHYRuENID^. (The Barracudas.) 



Body elongate, subterete, with small, cycloid scales. Head very 

 long, pointed ; mouth large, with uncfjual teeth, some of them very 

 large ; lower jaw projecting, a very strong tooth at tip ; gill rakers 

 obsolete; gill openings wide; lateral line present; air-bladder 

 large; P. short; V. I, 5. Dorsals separate, the first with 5 stout 

 spines ; A. with one spine ; C. forked ; vertebraj 24. One genera 

 with 15 species; voracious pike-like fishes of warm seas, some of 

 them very large, all excellent as food. 



115. SPHYRiENA (Artedi) BWh. (Ancient name, from 

 a(f)vpa, hammer.) 

 a. Scales small, 130 to 150 in lateral line. 



251. S. borealis DeKay. Little Barractda. Olivaceous, 

 silvery below; young with dusky blotches; P. not nearly reaching 

 D. ; maxillary not nearly to eye. Hea<l 8 ; depth 8. I). V - I, 9. 

 A. I, 9. L. 12. Cape Cod to Va., not rare N. (Lat., northern.) 



