FAMILY ESOCID^. 22* 



GENUS BELONE. Cuvicr. 



Head and hodij greatly dnngated; the loiter covered with minute scales. Both jaws very 

 much produced, straight, narrow and jminted ; armed with numerous small teeth. Pharynx 

 paved. Scales not apparent, except a carinate roiu near the edge of the abdomen. 



THE BANDED GAR-FISH. 



Belong truncata. 



PLATE XXXV. FIG. 113 -(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Esox. Hea Pike, Sea Snipe at Nnu-York. ScHOEPFF, Beoliacht. Vol. 8, p. 108. 

 The im-fish, Esoxbelone. MiTCHiLL, Lit. and Philos. Soc. N. Y. Vol. 1, p. 443. 

 Esin- hmgiroslris, Long-jawed Fresh-water Pike. MlTCHILL, Am Monlll. Mag. Vol. 2, p. 322. 

 Belniia truncata. Lesmeue, Journ. Acad. Nat. So. Phil. Vol.2, p. 126, plate. 

 The Uitr-fish, Belone tnincata. Storer, Massachusetts Report, p. 98. 



Characlrristics. Green above ; silvery beneath. A dark green longitiulinal band. Lower 

 mandible longest. Length one to two feet. 



Description. Body much elongated ; covered with small transparent orbicular scales. Over 

 and behind the end of the anal, on each side of the tail, is a row of carinatcd scales. The 

 lateral line arises from the lower angle of the opercles ; ascends gradually beneath the pecto- 

 rals, niaiiiliiining a direction near the abdomen ; passes over the l:)asc of the vcnlral.-i, ami behind 

 the anal, ilscs up and follows the course of the carinatcd scales. The vertebral line marked 

 above by a slight depression from the dorsal fin to the nape. On each side ot iliis line, at the 

 distance of 0'2, is a faint darker line concurrent with it. Head and opercles trigonal, flat 

 above. J:-yc.s longitudinally oval, (VB in their greatest diameter, and with the iijiper margin 

 of the orbits in the plane of the head ; their distance apart equal to the same diameter. A 

 triangular fossa in front of the eyes, extending forward into an acutely ])oinled furrow for the 

 nostrils. Branchial aperture very ample, extending forward beneath the orljits. Upper man- 

 dible flattened at its base, rounded forward, and terminating in an acute tip, its upper margin 

 with a medial and two lateral impressed lines : it is 0"3 shorter than the lower jaw, whicn is 

 elastic ami flexible at its tip. Both mandibles furnished with long conic acute disltint tet'lh, 

 with intermediate smaller ones, externally in confused series ; towards the angle of the jaws, 

 the smaller ones are exserted. The interior of the upper jaw with a longitudinal furrow, of 

 the lower, transversely rugous. Length of the mandibles to the whole length as one to live 

 nearly. 



The dorsal fin arises far back, commencing over the fourth ray of the anal ; it is elevated, 

 triangular ,n front, low and subequal behind, the second and third rays longest. This tin is 

 composed of one simjjle and fifteen branched rays. The pectorals on a line with the ])osterior 

 angle of the opercles, and 0-4 behind it ; composed of one flat, simple and scarcely articulated 

 ray, and eleven branched rays. Ventrals feeble ; their distance from the origin of the anal, 



