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THE BEARDED DRUM FISH. 



of the mouth is horizontal. The canine teeth are very large in proportion to the 

 dimensions of the fish. 



ANOTHER family, the Sciaenidae, now come before us, and will be illustrated by several 

 examples. The members of this family are clothed with ctenoid or toothed scales ; 

 the mouth is set in front of the snout, the teeth are arranged in bands, and the gill- 

 covers are either unarmed or furnished with feeble spines. 



The first example of this family is the BELTED HORSEMAN, a striking and boldly 

 marked species. 



This fish is found upon the Atlantic coasts of tropical America, and is perhaps the 

 most striking of the limited genus to which it belongs. The body is oblong, and the 

 nape of the neck is very high, its elevated line being continued by the first dorsal fin, 

 which is short, high, and pointed, its height being just equal to the depth of the body. 

 The second dorsal fin is long, rather low, and is covered with very thin scales. The 

 tail fin is covered in like manner. The scales of the body are of moderate size. 





BELTED HORSEMAN. |Vtt laaceolatus. 



The general color of the Belted Horseman is grayish yellow, diversified with three 

 broad belts of blackish brown, each belt being edged with whitish gray. The first band 

 passes vertically over the head, beginning just at the base of the first dorsal fin, travers- 

 ing the head behind the eye, and descending to the angle of the mouth, and the others 

 are drawn along the body, one reaching to the base of the ventral fin, and the other to 

 the tail. There is, however, a slight variation in different specimens. 



ANOTHER species of the same genus, the SPOTTED HORSEMAN (Eques punctatus], is 

 nearly, though not quite as remarkable a fish, and is notable for the bluish white spots 

 which decorate the dorsal, ventral, and anal fins. The general color of this fish is 

 brown, with two vertical bands running over the side of the head, and some curved 

 bands passing along the body from the back to the tail. This fish is found in the 

 Caribbean seas. 



CLOSELY allied to these creatures is a rather remarkable fish, called scientifically 

 Pogonias chromts, and more popularly known by the name of BEARDED DRUM-FISH. 



