CHIROCENTRUS. FISHES. 409 



E. saurus, Bloch. Head compressed, without scales, long, and a 

 little flattened above ; the under jaw longer than the upper ; tail 

 forked, with a spinous ray on each side. 14 inches long. Inha- 

 bits American Seas. Block, pi. 393. 



Gen. 26. CHIROCENTRUS, Cuv. 



Jaws with a row of strong conical teeth, those in the middle 

 above, and all those below very long ; tongue and branchial 

 arches rough with small teeth ; a long pointed scale above 

 each pectoral fin, and the pectoral rays very hard. 



C. Dorab, (Clupea Dorab, Gmel.) Body elongated, compressed, 

 silvery, dusky blue on the back, carinated below ; ventral fins ex- 

 tremely small, and the dorsal shorter than the anal fin, opposite 

 to which it is placed. Indian Seas Lacep. v. pi. 8, fig. 1. 



Gen. 27. ERYTHRINUS, Gronov. 



A row of conical teeth in each jaw, with some larger in front 

 than the others ; five rays in the branchial membrane ; head 

 round, furnished with osseous plates, and without scales; 

 body covered with large scales ; dorsal fin above the ventral 

 ones. 



E. Malabaricus, Cuv. (Esox, Bloch.) Head flat, compressed on 

 the sides ; colour yellowish, dusky on the back ; fins grayish, 

 with brown transverse bands ; tail forked. 12 inches long. In- 

 habits rivers of Malabar Bloch, pi. 392. 



Gen. 28. AMIA, Lin. 



Head covered with osseous plates ; scales large ; twelve flat rays 

 in the branchial membrane ; two cirri near the nostrils ; teeth 

 conical before, with flat ones behind. 



A. calva, Lin. Body slender; an osseous shield on the throat; dor- 

 sal fin long and sloping ; tail rounded, with a black spot at the 

 upper part of the base. Rivers of Carolina. Shaw, v. 9. 



Gen. 29. Sums, Cuv. 



Head with osseous plates and without scales ; five rays in the 

 branchial membrane ; teeth conical ; dorsal and anal fins op- 

 posite. 



S. giganteus, Cuv. Body elongated, covered with large osseous 

 scales ; snout oblong, and head singularly rude; tail very short. 

 Inhabits rivers of Brazil. Cuv. Reg. An. pi. 10, fig. 4. 



Gen. 30. LEPISOSTEUS, Lacep. 



Body covered with osseous scales ; file-like teeth interiorly in 

 both jaws, and a row of long pointed ones on their margin ; 

 branchiae united under the throat by a common membrane, 

 with three rays on each side. 



