570 MALACOPTERYGII. 



applied to the several species, such as Mullet, Buffalo-fish, Red- 

 Horse, &c., &c. 



The species of Cyprinidce are extremely numerous in Ameri- 

 can waters, and many, no doubt, are yet to be described. But 

 we must not omit to notice two singular species; the first, Cy- 

 prinodon umbra, remarkable as being one of the inhabitants of 

 the subterranean lakes in Austria, where darkness perpetually 

 reigns; the second, the FOUR-EYED LOACH, Anableps tetrophthaL 

 mus, (Gr. four-eyed,) found in the Brazilian rivers. "It is," says 

 Mr. Edwards, in his "Voyage up the Amazon," "always seen 

 swimming with the nose above the surface of the water, and pro- 

 pelling itself by sudden starts. The eye of this fish has two 

 pupils, although but one crystalline and one vitreous humor and 

 but one retina. It is the popular belief that, as it swims, two of 

 its eyes are adapted to the water, and two to the air." 



(18) Esocidce, (Gr. isox, a kind of pike.) The PIKES, (Esox,) 

 are the most voracious and destructive of all fresh-water fish. 

 Their lengthened form enables them to live in shallow waters, 

 and even when considerably large they sometimes are found in 

 small brooks. The Trout alone can compete with these fishes, 

 and not often are both found in the same waters. Lacepede calls 

 them the Sharks of our ponds and rivers. Only one species, E. 

 luciuS) is found in Europe ; sometimes attaining a length of 

 nineteen feet, and a weight of seventy pounds. A skeleton of 

 one has been preserved at Manheim, which weighed three hun- 

 dred and fifty pounds, and was probably between two hundred 

 and three hundred years old. The species are numerous in the 

 waters of this Continent. Those of Lake Erie and other Northern 

 lakes, as the Muskalonge or Muskellunge, E. nobtiior, E. eslor, 

 are very large. The more Southern species are smaller. The 

 American species form two divisions; one of which has the oper- 

 cular or gill covers entirely scaly, and dark reticulated mark- 

 ings; the other having scales only on the upper half of the gill 

 covers, and marked with light spots on a dark ground. 



The COMMON PICKEREL, E. reticulatus, abounds throughout the 

 Eastern and Middle States, and in the waters of Ohio. 



The Banded Gar-fish, Belone truncata, has very minute, soft 

 scales, and the upper part of the body is of a beautiful transparent 

 sea-green. 



The Scomberesox, or Bill-fish, (S. Store-ri, Mass. Report.) has 

 a broad silvery band on the body ; and is, hence, sometimes 

 called the Silver-Gar. Both these fish have the head and snout 

 very much elongated ; the Bill-fish has the dorsal and anal fins 

 divided into finlets, as in the Mackerel, hence, the name Scorn- 



