FAMILY SAURIDJE — LEPISOSTEUS. 271 



FAMILY SAURIDJE. 



Body cove7'ed with scales of a stony hardness, which are extended into imbricated spines 

 ujjon the first rays of all the fins. In some genera, dorsal finlets, each supported by a 

 strong spine. 



Obs. The fishes composing this group are so obviously distinct from all others of the family 

 Clupid^, with which they are arranged, that I have been in a measure compelled to treat of 

 them separately. Their situation even among the soft-rayed fishes scarcely appears to be 

 natural. To avoid the introduction of a new name, I make use of that already employed by 

 Agassiz, and which also comprises the Polypterus of the Nile. I have not had an opportu- 

 nity of referring to his description, and have framed the characters with reference both to the 

 American and Egyptian genera. To this family may be referred many of the American- 

 fossil genera of fishes, which are included by Agassiz under the name of Ganoidei. 



GENUS LEPISOSTEUS. Lacepede. 



Snout formed by the union of the intermaxillaries, maxillaries and palatines, with the vomer 

 and ethmoid, and much elongated. Jaws slightly unequal ; both furnished over their whole 

 internal surface with rasp-like teeth, and a row of long and pointed teeth along their edges. 

 Dorsal and anal opposite and far back. Air-bladder cellular, as in Amia. 



Obs. This species is peculiar to the rivers and lakes of America. When more thoroughly 

 investigated, it will doubtless admit of subdivisions ; but it will be requisite to make such 

 divisions after an attentive study of the characters on the fishes themselves, and not (as has 

 been done) from an inspection of drawings, which were made by persons not even versed in 

 the department of Ichthyology. 



THE BUFFALO BONY PIKE. 



LEPISOSTEUS BISON, 



PLATE XLIII. FIG. 139. 



Eta ostms. Bony-scaled Pike. MiTCHILL, Trans. Lit. and Ptiil. Soc. Vol. 1, p. 444. 

 Bony-Kcded Pike, E. oseeiu. Id. Am. Month. Mag. Vol. 2, p. 321. 



Characteristics. Scales smooth. With narrow elongated jaws, and a broad dusky band on the 

 side. Breadth of the upper jaw at the rictus, to its length, as one to six. 

 Length one to three feet. 



Description. Body elongated, cylindrical, compressed towards the tail. Scales arranged 

 in oblique series, of which there arc sixty-four from the branchial aperture to the tail. The 

 scales are smooth, thick, rhomboidal, terminating on the caudal fin in an oblique line, which 



