774 riSHES — LEPIDOSTEir^. 



"ylindrosteus ooulatns, Cope, 1. o. 



Oylindrosieus produotua, Cope, Proo. Phil. Acad., 1865, 86. — Dumeril, op. cit. 



Cylindrosteua agassizii, Dumbril, op. cit. 



Gylindrosteas rafinesqmi, Domerii,, op. cit. 



Cylindrosteus iarionii, Dumkril, op. cit. 



Cylivdrosteua castelnandii, Dumkril, op. cit. 



Cylindrosteus gadockii, Ddmbril, op. cit. 



Description. — The Short-nosed Gar is very similar to the preceding species in size, color, 

 ientition, etc. The body is, however, rather deeper, and the snout is notably shorter, 

 being only about as long as the rest of the head. Different specimens vary considerably 

 in the length of the snout, and some specimens are very pale, while others are dusky or 

 more or less distinctly spotted. Length, 3 to 5 feet. 



Habitat, Great Lakes to Florida and Texas, abundant ia most large bodies of water, 

 most common southward. 



Diagnosis. — From the Alligator Gar, this species may be known by the 

 presence of a single row of teeth on each side of the jaw. From the 

 Long-nosed Gar, the shortness of its snout will distinguish it. 



Hvbits. — This species is not common anywhere in Ohio, and it is more 

 often found in the Ohio River than in Lake Erie. In habits, food, etc., 

 the two fishes are so far as known precisely identical. 



This species like the preceding, has been frequently made the type of 

 new species, but being less common in collections, it has suffered some- 

 what less. 



Genus 7. LITHOLEPIS. Eafineeque. 



Litholepis, Eafinesque, American Monthly Magazine, iii, 1818, 447. 

 .4irao<oste«8,KA¥iNEeQDK, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 1820, 72. 



Type, Litliolepis adamantinus, Eatinesqub, 1818 ; Lepisosieus ferox, Rafinesque, 1820, 

 =Lepisosteu8 spatula, Lacepbde, 1803. 



Etymology, Utlws, stone ; lepis, scale. 



Gar Pikes with jaws comparatively short and broad, the snout rather wide, about as 

 long as the rest of the head, and the large teeth of the jaws in two rows on each side. 

 Species reaching a very large size. The name Atraetosteua has been most frequently em- 

 ployed for this genns, but as will be seen by the above synonymy, the preferable name 

 Litholepis is two years the older. But one species is known from the United States, but 

 two others, perhaps identical with ours, are described from tropical America, 



9. Litholepis spatxila (Lac.) Jordan. 



Alligator Oar; Oreat Oar; niaiijnari. 



? Esox tristceehtis, Bloch and Schnbidbr, Syst. Ichthyol., 395, 1801 (Cuba). 

 ? Atraetosteua triatackus, Poet, Synopsis Piscinm Cnbensium, 1868, 445 (from Cuba ; pos- 

 sibly distinct from ours). 

 Lepisosteus spatula, Lacepede, Hist. Nat. des Poiss., v, 333, 1803, and of some authors. 

 Aractoateus spatula, Dumeril, Hist. Nat. des Poiss, 1870. 



