306 FISHES. 



uniform height; anal short and rattier high; air bladder 

 large, cellular, lung -like, communicating by a glottis 

 with the oesophagus; stomach large. 



A single species is found in the larger bodies of fresh 

 water in the U. S. from N. Y. to the plains. It is 

 exceedingly tenacious of life, even more so than the 

 species of Amiurus. The flesh is soft and pasty, and 

 not edible. In some regions its voracity has acquired 

 for it the name of " Lawyer," because, as has been said, 

 " it will bite at any thing, and is good for nothing when 

 caught." 



/. AMIA, Linnagus. BOWFINS. 



1. A. calva, L. BOWFIN. DOG FISH. MUD FISH. 

 Depth 4 to 4|- in length; head nearly 4; eye .8 in head; 

 anterior nostrils each with a short barbel; dark olive or 

 blackish above, nearly white below; sides with traces 

 of greenish markings; lower jaw and gular plate with 

 round blackish spots; fins mostly dark; $ reaching a 

 length of 18 inches, with a roundish black spot on the 

 upper base of caudal, which is surrounded by an orange 

 or* yellowish shade ; $ larger, 2 feet or more in length, 

 without the black caudal spot; D. 42 to 53; A. 10 to 13; 

 lat. 1. 65 to 70. E. U. S. ; abundant in the Great Lakes. 

 (A. ornata,, reticulata, and viridis, LeS. A. marmorata, 

 canina, lentiginosa, cinerea^ and subccerulea, Val. A. 

 ocelUcauda^ Rich. A. occidentalis, DeK. A. thompsoni 

 and piquotii, Dumeril.) 



ORDER DD.-RHOMBOGANOIDEL 



(The Rhorriboganoids.) 



This order includes, among recent fishes, only the 

 following family: 



