218 PISCES. 



A species blue or red, according to the season, is found in the Archipe- 

 lago, which is the Scams creticus, Aldrov. and which late researches have 

 convinced me is the Scarus, so highly celebrated among the ancients; the 

 same that Elipertius Optatus, commander of a Roman fleet, during the reign 

 of Claudius, went to Greece in search of, for the purpose of distributing it 

 through the sea of Italy. It is an article of food in Greece at the pre- 

 sent day. 



Numerous species are found in the seas of hot climates. The form of their 

 jaws and the splendour of their colours have caused them to receive the 

 vulgar appellation of Parrot-fishes. 



FAMILY XV. 



FISTULARIDiE. 



The fishes of this family are characterized by a long tube, in the 

 fore-part of the cranium, formed by the prolongation of the aeth- 

 moid, vomer, preopercula, interopercula, pterygoidals and tympa- 

 nals, and at the extremity of which is the mouth, composed as usual 

 of the intermaxillaries, maxillaries, and the palatine and mandibu- 

 lary bones. 



Some of them, the Fistulariae, have a cylindrical body, in others, 

 the Centrisci, it is oval and compressed. 



FisTULARiA, Lin. 



The name of these fishes, in particular, is derived from the tube common to 

 the whole family. The jaws are at its extremity, slightly cleft in a nearly 

 horizontal direction. This head, thus elongated, constitutes the third or 

 fourth of the total length of the body, which is itself long and thin. There 

 are six or seven rays in the branchix, and some bony appendages extend 

 behind the head, upon the anterior part of the body, which they strengthen 

 more or less. The dorsal is opposite to the anal. 



Centriscus, Lin. 



In addition to the tubular snout of the family, the fishes of this genus have 

 an oval or oblong (not elongated) body, compressed on the side, and tren- 

 chant beneath; branchia composed of but two or three slender rays; a first 

 spinal dorsal and small ventrals behind the pectorals. The mouth is very 

 small, and cleft obliquely. 



The second division of common fishes, or that of the Malacop- 

 terygii, contains three orders, characterized by the position of the 

 ventrals or by their absence. 



