4-K> 



VEIiTEI'. U ATA. 



HAWKKX S GYMXETRnS. 



TUB DEAL-FISH. 



This faiiiilv iMcludi-s several species of an climiratccl, eornpresscd form, and called Ribbon-Fishes. 



Genus GYM'S ETllVS: Gymnetrus. 

 '^^'^-^''*****'^^^^^^~ — This includes Bank's Gymnetrus, 



G. JjCDiksii, ten to twelve feet long, 

 and less than three inches thick. It is 

 of a beautiful silvery color, with a few 

 blackish streaks and spots. It is found 

 in the European seas. 



IIavvken's Gymnetrus, G. Hawk- 

 enii, eight to ten feet long, depth ten 

 inches, thickness less than three inches ; color dusky green ; found in the European seas. 



The Deal-Fish, G. Arcticus, is four 

 to six feet long, breadth eight inches, 

 thickness one inch ; found in the North 

 Atlantic, and has been taken on the 

 British coasts. It is called Vaagmaer 

 in Iceland. 



The ScABBARD-FiSH, Lepidopus ar- 



gyreus, is four to six feet long, and swims 



with great swiftness : the skin is smooth, 



except a few scales in place of the \ entral 



fins ; the flesh is said to be good. 



The Silvery Hairtail, Trichiurus lep- 

 turus, is two to four feet long, of a shiny sil- 

 very color; called Ribbon-Fish on our coa.st 

 and Szvord-Fish in Jamaica. Extensively 

 distributed along the Atlantic shores. 



Ge7ius CEPOLA: Cepola.— To this be- 

 longs the Red Band-Fish or Red Snake- 

 Fish, C. rubeycens, one to two feet long, color 

 orange-red ; moving in the waters it appears 

 like a red ribbon. This, as w ell as other spe- 

 cies of this family, is often found cast on the 

 shores by storms. 



THE MUGILID^. 

 This family includes a few species having 

 a spindle-shaped body, which is covered 

 with large scales ; they generally inhabit 

 salt water, keeping about the mouths of 

 rivers, asccndinff and descendino- with the 

 ebb and flow of the tide. 



Genus MUGIL: Munil. — This includes 

 the European Gray Mullet, M. capita, 

 which is to be distinguished from the 

 other mullets of the genus Mitllus. 

 It is a small fish, common in Europe, 

 and greatly esteemed for its delicacy. 

 It is very active, and frequently es- 

 capes from the fishermen by leaping 

 over their nets. There are several 

 other European species. 



THE SCABBARD-FISH. 



THE Rt;D BAND-FISH. 



THE GRAT UnLLET. 



