492 WILLIAM K. GREGORY 



as follows: (i) Belonidae, the Garfishes. These have strong 

 jaws and teeth, the third upper pharyngeal is small with few 

 teeth, the maxillary is firmly soldered to the premaxillary and 

 the vertebrae have zygapophyses. (2) Exoccetidae, the Skippers 

 (Scombresox), Half -beaks, and Flying-fishes. These have small 

 and nearly equal teeth, the maxillary is separate from the pre- 

 maxillary, the third upper pharyngeal is much enlarged, and there 

 are no zygapophyses on the vertebras. The genera Hemiexo- 

 ■costus and Fodiator are intermediate in structure and in leaping 

 or flying habits between the Half -beaks (Hyporhamphus, Hemi- 

 rhamphus) and the true Flying-fishes. All these forms are in- 

 cluded in the single family Scombresocidae by Smith Woodward 

 and Boulenger. 



The order 1 retains archaic or isospondylous characters and 

 agrees with the Haplomi in the lack of fin spines, and in the 

 abdominal position of the ventrals, which have more than five 

 rays; and a further agreement with the Haplomi is the absence 

 of the mesocoracoid arch. A possible representative of the 

 coronoid of the lower jaw, is, however, retained. As in the 

 Thoracostraci 2 (1) the open communication between the swim 

 bladder and the gut has been lost (physoclistous condition), 

 (2) the parietal bones are absent or well separated by the supra- 

 occipital, (3) the exoccipitals are not united over the basi- 

 occipitals, (4) the scapula is suspended from the skull by a 

 simple non-furcate posttemporal, and (5) the supractavicle 

 when present is small, (6) the postclavicle is absent, (7) para- 

 pophyses are developed on all the abdominal vertebrae (Starks 2 ). 

 In characters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, as well as in the high position of 

 the pectoral fins and in many other characters, they agree with 

 the typical Percesoces ; and thus tend to connect the physostomes 

 {represented by the Haplomi) with the physoclists. 



The character to which the name Synentognathi refers is the 

 complete union of the lower pharyngeals in the median line, 



1 Starks, E. C, "A Review of the Synentognathous Fishes of Japan," 

 Proc. U. S. National Mus., Vol. XXVI, 1904, pp. 525-544. 



2 Starks, E. C, "The Shoulder Girdle and Characteristic Osteology of 

 the Hemibranchiate Fishes," Proc. U. S. National Adits., Vol. XXV, 1902, 

 pp. 619-634. 



