THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 89 
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Genus Psartiisostomus Walbaum. 
The Gar Pikes. 
Psallisostomus osseus (Linnzus). 
Gar Pike. Gar Fish. Gar. 
Head 37/,,; depth about 734; D. 8; A. 9; scales about 56 
in lateral line to base of caudal; scales 52 between occiput and 
dorsal; orbit 6 in postocular region; 4% over interorbital space; 
width of head at front edge of opercle 4% in its own length; 
width of snout at gape of mouth 334 in its length. Gape more 
forward, well over half of head. Front margin of orbit in last 
third of head. Top of head well curved or elevated convexly, 
flattened medianly. Opercle about as long as high. Scales on 
anterior portion of side well radiated rugosely. Origin of dorsal 
about opposite base of seventh anal ray. Length 4 feet 11 inches. 
Near Trenton in the Delaware. Prof. EF. D. Cope. 
Upon comparison with examples from the Ohio River I am 
unable to detect any differences except those which may be 
attributed to age. Lepidosteus crassus Cope seems to have been 
founded on a middle-sized individual with the radiate or rugose- 
striate scales apparent. Larger examples show them very pro- 
nounced, and younger ones from the Mississippi have the scales 
entirely smooth, while in examples from Florida which are a little 
smaller than crassus the radiate-rugose scales are becoming 
evident. 
The above example is the only one I have seen from the state. 
In the upper Delaware tide-water small examples have been re- 
ported, and are also occasionally taken in seines. Dr. Abbott tells 
me it is apparently rare out of brackish water and only 2 or 3 
have been taken in purely fresh water since the one described 
above. Dr. Dahlgren reports having seen a large example, nearly 
4 feet long, several years ago in the Delaware at Trenton. 
Lepidosteus osseus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 822—Abbott, 
Am. Nat., IV, 1870, p. 114, fig. 33.—Abbott, Rep. U. S. F. 
Com., 1875-76, p. 827.—Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 479. 
Lepidosteus crassus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 823, based on 
Cope. 
