ABDOMINAL MALACOPTERYGIANS. 197 



Others again have only a single range in the maxillaries and lower 

 jaw, the teeth being alternately very small and very long, the two second 

 ones below in particular, which, when the mouth is closed, pass through 

 two holes in the upper jaw. Their lateral line is furnished with larger 

 scales, and the first dorsal corresponds to the interval between the ventrals 

 and anal*. 



There is a fourth sort, in which the snout is pointed and very salient; 

 the maxillaries very short, and furnished, together with the lower jaw and 

 the intermaxillaries, with a single compact range of very small teeth; 

 their first dorsal corresponds to the interval between the ventrals and anal. 

 The entire body is covered with strong scales f. 



Finally, the only teeth possessed by others are those in the lower jaw 

 and intermaxillaries; they are but few, strong, and pointed. Their first 

 dorsal is above the ventrals. But a single species is known, and it in- 

 habits the Nile J. 



ClTHARlNUS, CuV., 



Are recognized by a depressed mouth, transversely cleft in the end of the 

 snout, whose upper edge is wholly formed by the intermaxillaries, and 

 where the small and dentated maxillaries only occupy the commissure ; 

 the tongue and palate are smooth, and the adipose fin is covered with 

 small scales, as is the greater portion of the caudal. They inhabit the 

 Nile. 



Some of them have very small teeth in the upper jaw only, and an ele- 

 vated body as in Serra-salmus; the abdomen, however, is neither trenchant 

 nor indented §. 



Others have several compact rows of numerous slender teeth, forked 

 at the end, in both jaws; their form is more elongated ||. 



Saurus, Cuv., 



Have a short snout ; the mouth deeply cleft, opening far behind the eyes , 

 edge of the upper jaw wholly formed by the intermaxillaries; sharp 

 pointed teeth along the jaws, palatines, tongue, and pharyngeals, but none 

 on the vomer; eight or nine, and, frequently, twelve or fifteen rays in the 

 branchiae. The first dorsal is a little behind the ventrals, which are 

 large; scales on the body, cheeks, and opercula; viscera similar to those 

 of a Trout. They are salt-water fishes, and extremely voracious. 



One of them, aS'. saurus, L., Salv. 242, is found in the Mediter- 



* Another Brazilian species, Hi/droc. scomberoides, Cuv., Mem. Mus. V., p], xxvii, 

 f. 2, or Cynodon vulpinns, Spix, XXVI; — Cynidon gibbus, Id. XXVII. 



t Another species from Brazil, the Hydroc. lucius, Cuv., Mem. Mus. V, pi. xxvi, 

 f. 3, or Xipho.itoma Cirvieri, Spix, XL 1 1. 



% The Roschal or Water-dog of Forsk., 66, or Charactnns dcntex, Geoff. Poiss. 

 d'Eg., pi. 4, f. 1, and Cuv., Mem. Mus. V, pi. xxviii, f. 1, but which is not, as Fors- 

 kahl thought, the Sahno dentex of Hasselquist — that is the rati. 



§ The Seira-sahne citharine, or Sight Star of the Arabs, Geoff., Poiss. d'Eg., pi. v, 

 f. 2 and 3, (Citharbius Geoffrcei, Cuv.); — Sahno Cyprinoides, Gronov., Mus. p. 378. 



'I The Characin tiefasch, Geoff, lb., f. 1, or Sahno cegyptius, Gm.; it is the Sahno 

 niloticus of Hasselquist, very different from that of Forskahl, which is the raii. 



