CLASS V. PISCES: ORDER 3. TELEOSTEA. 



451 



THE GAR-FISH. 



THE PHARYNGOGNATIIA. 



This division, according to Miiller, embraces two groups, which he calls the Malacopterygii 



and Acanthopterygiii the names adopted by 

 Cuvier for his primary divisit)n of osseous 

 fishes. It contains several remarkable genera. 

 Genus BELONE: Bdone.—To this be- 

 longs the Gar-Fish, B. vulgaris^ two feet 

 long, with the under jaw greatly produced ; it 

 swims near the surface ; bites at a hook ; 

 makes violent resistance when drawn up, and 

 emits a strong smell when just taken. It is 

 sometimes called Mackerel- Guide, from its preceding the shoals of mackerel when they visit the 

 shallows for the purpose of spawning. It is also called Sea-Needle, Long-Nose, Horn-Fish, &c. 

 Common in European seas. 



The Banded Gar-Fish, B. truncafa, is found on our coasts. It is highly prized by epicures. 

 Genus SGOMBERESOX: Scomberesox. — To this belongs the Skipper or Saury Pike, S, 



saurus, from one to two feet long; 

 swims in vast shoals, and when chased 

 by the porpoises leaps to the height 

 of six or seven feet out of water. 

 Sometimes the surface of the sea 

 foams with them ; twenty thousand 

 have been seen out of the water at 

 a time. Found in the European 

 seas. 



The Bill-Fish, S. Storeri, is ten 

 to twelve inches long; is esteemed 

 for the table ; abundant on the coast of Newfoundland; rare on our coast. 



Genus EXOC^TUS : Exoccettis. — To this belong the Trtie Fbjing-Fishcs. The Common 



Flying-Fish, E. volitans of Pennant, is 

 twelve to fourteen inches long, and has 

 the ventral fins placed anterior to the 

 middle part of the body ; it may thus be 

 distinguished from the Flving-Gurnard 

 of the Mediterranean, already noticed, 

 which has the fins placed behind the mid- 

 dle of the body. These fins arc also much 

 smaller in the true flying-fishes. The 

 species now under consideration belongs 

 to the Atlantic, and is most common in 

 the tropical portions, though it is occa- 

 sionally found on the European and 

 American coasts as high as 50° north 

 latitude. They arc often seen to leap by 

 hundreds and even thousands from the water, chased by the dorados and bonitos. They have 

 no true power of flight by beating the air and rising upon it with their wings, but only sail 

 along, sustaining and prolonging their course by spreading their wings. They rise into the air by 

 vigorous leaps, often to the height of twenty feet; and sometimes making a course of six hundred 

 feet. Occasionally they have fallen on the decks of ships. There are several other species, two 

 or three on our own coasts. 



Genus LABRUS : Zo6rMS.— This includes several genera, the species of which are widely dis- 



THE SADRT PIKE. 



THE FLYING-FISH. 



