OF THE UNITED STATES. 185 



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The mode of procuring these fish whose flesh is so 

 much esteemed, is with a large seine taken out into 

 the deep water by a company of boats, when the 

 weather is fine. On discovering a shoal of the balao, 

 they amuse them by throwing some light body on the 

 water, such as the leaves of the sugar cane, round 

 which they delight to play and jump ; the boats out- 

 side the fish then let fall the nets, by which they sur- 

 round, and while drawing the net towards the land, 

 perogues, each occupied by a single negro, follow the 

 net outside, making a noise and throwing stones, in 

 order to chase the fish towards the shore, and to 

 prevent them from leaping over the net and escaping. 



Hemiramphus marginatus. Body three times the 

 length of the lower jaw ; pectoral fins shorter than the 

 half of the lower jaw ; posterior fins almost equal. 



Description. Body subquadrangular, short, equal 

 from the head to the tail as far as the commencement 

 of the anal and dorsal fins. Tail short, terminated 

 by a deeply cleft fin, the lobes slightly arrounded, the 

 inferior a third part longer than the superior. Pec- 

 toral fins pointed. Ventral small, and lunulated, 

 pointed interiorly, placed more towards the tail than 

 the head. Dorsal fin longer by a third part than 

 the anal, their form considerably similar, straight, a 

 little elevated anteriorly, the rays separated and free 

 about a third of their length, these two fins also cor- 

 respond posteriorly. The upper beak is shorter than 



