FAMILY ESOCIDiE. 229 



GENUS SCOMBERESOX. Cuvier. 



Snout greatly attenuated and elongated as in the preceding. Teeth in both jaws ; more on 

 the palatines and tongue. Dorsal and anal fins divided behind into numerous finlets. 



THE BILL-FISH. 



SCOMEERESOX STOEERI. 



PLATE XXXV. FIG. HI. 



Sctrmberesox tquirostrum et scutellatum. Lesueur, Jouni. Acad. Nat. Sc. Vol. 2, p. 132. 

 jS. id.. The Bill-fish, Stoeer, Massachusetts Report, p. 100. 



Characteristics. Dark green above. Lower jaw longest. Body with a broad silvery band. 

 Length ten to twelve inches. 



Description. Anguilliform ; nearly of equal depth and width to the origin of the dorsal fin. 

 Scales small. Lateral line straight, indented, concurrent with, and near to the dorsal outline. 

 On each side of the abdomen is a longitudinal furrow, which begins at the underside of the 

 opercles, and extends to the base of the caudal fin ; dilated near the ventrals. Head deep, 

 long and narrow compared with the body. Eyes small, ' 2 in diameter. Jaws elongated, 

 and furnished at the base with very minute teeth ; the upper jaw an inch and a half long ; the 

 lower jaw about a quarter of an inch longer. Opercles large, smooth and silvery. The dorsal 

 fin longer than high, and composed of ten nearly subequal rays. Behind it are five pinnulcB 

 or finlets. Pectorals pointed, of fourteen rays, with the first ray longer and broader than the 

 others. Ventral fins just in advance of the anal. Caudal broadly excavated. 



Color. Body above dark green. Head above deep green. Beneath the green of the back, 

 a broad silvery band extends through the whole length of the body, and divided in the centre 

 by a narrow green line. Gill-covers and abdomen silvery. Dorsal and its finlets greenish 

 tinged with yellow. Pectorals dark at the base ; the rays silvery. Ventrals and anal white ; 

 the finlets of the latter yellowish. 



Length, 10-0 ; of head and jaws, 3"0. 



Fin rays, D. 10. v.; P. 14 ; V. 6 ; A. 12. v.; C. 20. 



The original notice of this species by Lesueur, was made from an imperfect and dried 

 cabinet specimen ; and his name, of very dubious latinity, and drawn from a false character, 

 must be rejected. The name which I have attached to it, is due to the distinguished Ichthy- 

 ologist who pointed out distinctly the impropriety of the appellation, and was its first accurate 

 describer. 



A specimen of this fish, to which Lesueur has attached another name, was obtained from 

 the banks of Newfoundland. On the coast of Massachusetts, they appear in immense num- 



