228 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
equal to the distance between the origin of the dorsal and the base of the caudal fin: they 
contain six rays. ‘The anal similar in shape to the dorsal, and coterminal with it; the first 
ray short, triangular, subspinous; the second and third longest; after the seventh, the rays 
are nearly equal: there are nineteen rays. The vent forms a sort of enlarged pouch, with a 
large oblong aperture. Caudal emarginate ; the lower lobe very slightly longest. 
Color, from a living specimen captured in September. Upper part of the body a beautiful 
transparent sea-green, which becomes darker above the opercles and over the nostrils. Oper- 
cles and. sides of the body bright silvery. Abdomen beneath opaque white. A narrow dark 
green band arises from the upper part of the angle of the opercle, and running towards the 
tail, separates the color of the back from that of the sides. Margin of the preopercles deep 
green. Pupils black ; irides silvery. 
Length, 22.0; of the head and jaws to the opercular margin, 7.0. 
Fin rays; DL 163, Po? s VeiGs: Aeon eC 119.2: 
I have adopted the name proposed by Lesueur, as I have very little doubt but that he had 
ihe same species in view, although his notice is very imperfect, and his trivial name unmeaning. 
I have examined many specimens, and have found in none the tail so unequal as his figure 
would seem to indicate ; it was probably a deformed or mutilated specimen. 
I am disposed to believe the E. longirostris of Mitchill to have been intended also for this 
species, but his description is too imperfect to render this certain. He observes, “ It is said 
to grow to the length of three or four feet, and is always an inhabitant of fresh water.” 
The Gar-fish occurs on our coast chiefly in the latter part of summer and in the autumn, 
from which I infer that it is a southern fish. I do not find it, however, among Dr. Holbrook’s 
drawings, nor among Parra’s figures. Its farthest northern range hitherto observed has been 
on the coast of Massachusetts, south of Cape Cod. It is highly prized by epicures. 
