FISHES. S85 



trusile. Belly compressed and denticulated. The follow- 

 ing subgenera have been indicated: 1. Cliipea (C Ha- 

 rengus *). 2. Megalops (C cyprino'ides). 3. Engraulis 

 {C. encrasicolus), 4. Mystus (C atherinoidcs). 5. Gna- 

 thobolus {G. mucronatus). 6. Pristigaster, Cuvier. 7. 

 Notopterus {Gymnotus notopterus of Palt.as). 



37. Elops. About thirty rays in the gill-flap. Belly 

 not denticulated. A strong spine on the dorsal and ven- 

 tral edges of the tail. E. saurus. 



38. Chirocenthus. The two middle teeth above and 

 all below much produced. Above each pectoral fin a long 

 pointed scale. Belly sharp. C. vulgaris. 



39. Erythrinus. Head without scales, hard. Dorsal 

 and ventral fins opposite. Teeth irregularly large. Gill- 

 flap of five rays. E. malabaricus. 



40. Amia. Like the preceding, but with twelve flat 

 rays in the gill-flap. A calva. 



41. SuDis. Dorsal and anal fins opposite. Two species 

 are known. 



42. Lepisosteus. Body covered with osseous scales. 

 Gills united at the throat, and the gill-flap with three rays. 

 L. osseus. 



43. PoLYPTERUs. Gill-flap with one ray. Body with 

 osseous scales. P. bichir. 



b. Upper jaw formed by the intermaxillaries. The max- 

 illaries are without teeth, and concealed in the lips. M. 

 Cuvier divides this group into three families. The first, 

 represented by the pike and carp, is indicated by the pre- 

 sence of scales, while in tlie two last the skin is either naked, 

 or furnished with osseous plates. 



Esociu^. Furnished with strong teethe 



• A figure of Clupea alosa or Shad, is given in Plate III. f. 1. 

 VOL. TI, B b 



