16 CHECK LIST OF THE 



Colour, greenish above ; the sides silvery and the belly whitish ; numer- 

 ous round, dark spots on the sides, most distinct posteriorly and most 

 conspicuous in the young, becoming obscure with age. Very young indi- 

 viduals have a blackish lateral band. Vertical fins with numerous round 

 dark spots. 



The Gar-fish is generally distributed from the upper St. Lawrence 

 River through the Great Lakes and their tributaries to the head of Lake 

 Huron. I have no records from Lake Superior; and it is probably most 

 abundant in Lake Erie. It is said to attain a length of six feet and may 

 possibly do so in southern waters, but I have never seen one taken in this 

 Province which would exceed four feet. As a food fish it is valueless, its 

 flesh being considered unwholesome. It spawns in late spring or early 

 summer, running up the larger streams for that purpose. 



SUBGENUS CYLINDROSTEUS. 



(6) Short-nosed Gar. 



(Lepisosteus platostomus.) 



Colour similar to L. osseus, but rather darker ; from that species it 

 may readily be distinguished by its shorter snout, which even in young 

 specimens does not much exceed the rest of the head in length. Maximum 

 length, about three feet. 



D., 8; A., 8; V., 6. Scales on lateral line, about 56. 



The Short-nosed Gar occurs sparingly in Lake Erie, its centre of 

 abundance being in the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. 



Like the common Garfish, it is a voracious, destructive creature and 

 of no value as a food fish. 



Order CYCLOGANOIDEA. (The Bowfins.) 



Parietals in contact. Pterotic, basis cranii and anterior vertebrae 

 simple. Mandible with opercular and coronoid. Maxillary not trans- 

 versely segmented, bordering the mouth. Third superior pharyngeal 

 lying on enlarged fourth. Upper basihyal wanting. Vertebras amphicoelian 

 the anterior not modified. Pectoral fins with mesopterygium and eight 

 other elements. Air bladder cellular and lung-like. 



FAMILY AMIID^E. (THE BOWFINS.) 



Body oblong, compressed behind, terete anteriorly. Head subcon- 

 ical, anteriorly bluntish, slightly depressed, its superficial bones corru- 

 gated and very hard, scarcely covered by skin. Snout short, rounded ; 

 lateral margins of upper jaw formed by the maxillaries, which are divided 



