98 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



14 FAMILY. Riband-Fishes (Gymnetridse). Body 

 very long, thin, and compressed ; head large, 

 generally truncate ; eyes very large ; mouth 

 nearly vertical ; consistence soft ; rays fragile. 



15. FAMILY. Star-scaled Dolphins (Astrodermidse). 



Crown gibbous, obtuse ; mouth and eyes very 

 small ; ventrals on the throat, nearly obso- 

 lete, first ray serrated ; body with scattered, 

 detached, star-like scales. 



16. FAMILY. Scabbard-Fishes (Trichiuridse). Yen- 



trals rudimentary or wanting ; finlets none ; 

 body narrow, linear; jaws lengthened, the 

 under the longest ; chin pointed ; teeth ge- 

 nerally large, remote, unequal, and acute. 



17. FAMILY. Pomfrets (Stromateidae). Body very 



thin, short, rhomboid ; back with minute 

 prickles ; head obtuse ; ventrals generally none ; 

 scales minute ; apparently two lateral lines. 



18. FAMILY. Fish-Dolphins (Coryphsenidse). Body 



compressed, oblong, slender ; scales small, nu- 

 merous ; head large ; crown gibbous ; pecto- 

 rals falcate ; eyes close to angle of mouth. 



19. FAMILY. Dories (Zeidse). Body stout, oval, or 



rhomboid, very broad in middle, and exces- 

 sively thin ; mouth small compared with size 

 of head, often protractile ; dorsal generally 

 single ; caudal sometimes forked ; scales mi- 

 nute or none. 



20. FAMILY. Spiny - Mackar els (Centronotidae). 



Body lengthened or oblong ; spines in front 

 of dorsal ; dorsals two, not connected ; ven- 

 trals perfect ; scales generally very small 



