6 Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. V. 



Lepidosteus osseus Gi'mther, Cat., vm, 330, 1870; North America. 



Lepisosteus osseus Jordan & Evermann, Bull. 47, U.S. Nat. Mus., 

 1896, 109: Jordan & Snyder, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 1900, 

 117; Tampico: Meek, Field Col. Mus. Pub. 65, 1902, 72; Santa 

 Rosalia. 



Great Lakes to the Carolinas and Mexico as far south as Tam- 

 pico. (San Juan; Valles; Forlon.) 



Head 3; depth 12; D. 8; A. 9; scales about 62. Body elongate, 

 cylindrical; jaws long and slender, beak-like; snout more than twice 

 length of rest of head, its least width 15 to 20 in its length; 

 large teeth of the upper jaw in a single row on each side; ventral 

 fins with 6 rays. 



Color olivaceous, pale, somewhat silvery below; vertical fins and 

 posterior part of the body with round black spots, which are more 

 distinct in the young; very young with a black lateral band. Length 

 about 3 feet. 



The most southern record of this species is Valles, in the 

 Rio Panuco Basin. I saw quite a number in a deep sluggish creek 

 at Forlon, but was unable to capture any of them. This species 

 seldom exceeds a length of 3 feet, and except on the Arkansas River, 

 I have never seen it used for food. It is easily distinguished from 

 the other members of the family by its exceedingly long, narrow, 

 beak-like jaws. 



Subgenus Oyliudrosteus Rafinesque. 



Lepidosteus platystomus Rafinesque. Short-nosed Garpike. 



Lepisosteus plaioslomus Rafinesque, Ichth. Ohiensis, 72, 1820; Ohio River. 



Lepidosteus platysiomus Gunther, Cat., vm, 329, 1870: Jordan <$: Evermann, 

 Bull. 47, U.S.Nat. Mus., 1896, no. 



Mississippi Valley south to the Rio Pecos in Texas, ranging as far east as 

 Florida. 



Head 3K; depth 8; D. 8; A. S; scales about 56. Body elongate, cylindrical; 

 jaws broad, beak-like; snout usually about one-third longer than rest of 

 head, its least width 5 to 6 in its length; large teeth of upper jaw in a single 

 row on each side. 



Color similar to the preceding, but usually darker. Length 2 or 3 feet. 



This species probably occui-s in northeastern Mexico. 



Subgenus Atractosteus Rafinesque. 

 3. Lepidosteus tristoechus (Bloch & Schneider). Alligator Gar- 

 pike; Manjuari. 

 Esox tristoechus Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 395, 1801; Cuba; 



after Manjuari of Para. 

 Lepidosteus berlandieri Girard, Pac. R. R. Sur., 353, 1858; 



Tamaulipas. 

 Atractosteus lucius Dumeril, Hist. Nat. Poiss., 11, 364, 1870; 

 Tampico, Mexico. 



