384. REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
preorbitals, suborbitals and bones on top of head united into a 
shield. Nuchal part of shield on each side produced backward 
in a bony ridge, ending in a strong spine reaching past front of 
dorsal. Preorbitals forming a projecting roof above jaws. Pre- 
opercle produced in a very long rough spine. Opercle smaller 
than eye. Interorbital space deeply concave. Mouth small, lower 
jaw included. Jaws with granular teeth. No teeth on vomer 
or palatines. Gill-openings narrow, vertical, separated by a very 
broad scaly isthmus. Gill-rakers minute. Pseudobranchiz large. 
Air-vessel with 2 lateral parts, each with a large muscle. Pyloric 
coeca numerous. Vertebre g + 1322. Scales bony, strongly 
keeled. At base of tail two serrated knife-like appendages. 
Cheeks and opercles with small scales. First dorsal of IV or V 
rather high flexible spines, first I or II spines nearly free from 
others. An immovable spine between dorsals. Anal and second 
dorsal short, of slender rays. Caudal lunate, small. Pectorals 
divided to base into 2 parts, anterior portion about as long as 
head, of about 6 closely connected rays, and posterior or larger 
portion more than twice length of head, reaching nearly to caudal 
in adult. These rays very slender, simple, wide apart at tip. 
Ventrals I, 4, bases close together, long and pointed, inner rays 
shortest. 
Handsome and singular fishes of the warm seas. Remarkable 
for their powers of flight, which though like that of the true 
flying fishes is of shorter distance. One species on our coast. 
Genus CEPHALACANTHUS Lacépede. 
The Flying Gurnards. 
Cephalacanthus volitans (Linnzus). 
PLATE 83. 
Flying Robin. 
Head 3%%; depth 55) De. IRilVeh8s Avie, 205782 
VI-I, 18; scales about 62 in lateral series to base of caudal; 
snout 2% in head; eye 4%; maxillary 274; interorbital space 
