333 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



FAMILY FISTULARIDjE. 



Mouth elongated into a tube, formed by the extension of the ethmoid, vomer, preopercles, 

 interopercles, pterygoidal and tympanal bones. At the extremity is the mouth, composed 

 as usual of the intermaxillaries, palatines and mandibulary bones. Ribs short or wanting. 

 Some of the genera are long and cylindrical; others short and compressed. 



Obs. By some writers this has been made a sub-family of the Scomberidce, and it does not 

 appear among the Spine-rayed fishes in the great work of Messrs. Cuvier and Valenciennes. 

 Its true place is probably near or among the Syngnathidce. I am acquainted with but two 

 representatives of this family on our coast. 



GENUS FISTULARIA. Lacepede, Cuvier. 



Body elongated, cylindrical. Dorsal above the anal. Intermaxillaries and lower jaw armed 

 with small teeth. A long filament arises from between the two lobes of the tail. Tube of 

 the mouth depressed. Air-bladder very small. Scales invisible. 



THE AMERICAN PIPE-FISH. 



FiSTOLABU SERBITA. 

 PLATE XXXV. FIG. 113. 

 The Tobacco-pipe Pith, F. terrata. Storee, Fishes of Massachusetts, p. 80. (Adult) 



Characteristics. Reddish brown above, with a narrow bluish band along the sides. Tube 

 strongly serrated on its sides. Length exclusive of the caudal filament, 

 nineteen inches. 



Description. Body cylindrical, elongate, with numerous asperities visible under the lens, 

 and slightly rough to the touch. The lateral line commences just above the posterior por- 

 tion of the opercle, runs obliquely backwards about an inch, then rises and approaches within 

 0*2 of the line on the other side, continuing in this direction in a straight line for about 1 "5 ; 

 it then passes down suddenly to the middle of the body, and runs a straight course through 

 the middle of the lateral band. Near its origin, it is rather indistinct ; but on the posterior 

 half of the body, it becomes covered with a series of elevated carinated plates. Entire length 

 of the head, from the end of the snout to the margin of the opercle, 6*8. Tube wider than 

 deep, of a hard horny consistence, strongly serrated along each side with short spines directed 

 forwards, and extending to the anterior portion of the orbits. This tube, just in front of the 

 eyes, is 0-75 wide ; and at the angle of the jaws, 0'5. Vertical gape of the mouth, 0*5. 

 Nostrils single, oval, and • 3 in advance of the orbits. Lower jaw longest, with a protube- 



