294 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
Sarda sarda (Bloch). 
Bonito. 
Color when fresh beautiful violet on back, more or less in- 
clined to blackish and with tints of greenish-blue. On side color 
changes to a drab-gray. Head slightly pale with leaden tint. 
Sides of body also with many metallic greenish, bluish and 
purplish tints in certain lights. A pale area in adipose eyelid 
behind eye and extending back towards base of pectoral. Oblique 
narrow blackish lines, more or less longitudinal, sloping up back, 
and deepest in color above. They are also more or less regular 
and of even width. Fins all with more or less dusky, front mar- 
gin of anal and most of inner ventral surface whitish. A narrow 
silvery ring around pupil, eye otherwise slaty-black. Length 23 
inches. One example from Sea Isle City, taken July 4th, 1906. 
W. J. Fox. 
It is a beautiful fish when swimming in the water, the bright 
bluish of the back being very conspicuous. 
Family ISTIOPHORIDE. 
The Sail Fishes. 
Body elongate, much compressed. Caudal peduncle with 2 
fleshy crests or keels. Bones of upper jaw consolidated into a 
sword, which is roundish on edges and spear-like, shorter than 
Xiphiide. ‘Teeth in jaws small, persistent and granular. Gills 
reticulated as in Xiphiide. Vertebre 12+ 12—24, elongate and 
hour-glass shaped. Neural and hemal spines flag-like. Ribs well 
developed. Air-vessel very large, sacculate, of numerous separate 
divisions. Intestine short, straight. Body covered with elongate 
scutes. Dorsal single, or divided into 2 contiguous portions, 
first much longer than second, fin-rays distinct, and first rays 
distinctly spinous. Anal divided. Last rays of dorsal and anal 
suctorial. Ventrals attached to pelvic arch, each with I or 2 rays. 
