146 



BELONE. 



The ventral fins abdominal. Body lengthened, slender; both jaws 

 lengthened, slender, with teeth along their side3. Dorsal and anal fins 

 far behind, and no finlets. A line of raised scales along each side of 

 the belly. 



GARFISH. 



I.ONGNOSE. HORN BEAK. 



Aeua Oppiani, Actis «li<i, Jonston; Table 15, f. 17. 



' Willoughby; p. 231, Table P. 2. 



E.tox belmu; Linnaeus. Bi.och; pi. 33. 



Donovan ; pi. 64. 



Belone vulgaris, Cuyiek. Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 1 $ 



" Jentns; Manual, p. 4,18. 



" " Yarhei.l; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 442. 



On the coast of Cornwall this fish is common at all seasons, 

 as also in the Mediterranean, and more sparingly, according to 

 Mr. Lowe, at Madeira; but as spring advances it extends its 

 "wanderings northward, so as to be known along the borders 

 of Scotland, Sweden, and Norway, in which latter country 

 Nilsson says it is a common remark that when the Garfish 

 appears in spring it is a sign of a dry summer. In the north, 

 however, its visit is only transitory, and it returns to the south 

 in winter. 



But wherever found it is a restless and wandering species, 

 and having a quick digestion of food, it is always prepared 

 to seize a bait, which it grasps with a peculiar action of its 

 protruded jaws, presently to be described; but as the action 

 of swallowing is not usually so sudden as in many other kinds 

 of fish, when the boat is passing on rapidly under sail, the 



