620 FISHES. 



Scomhresox, and by a species of Belone in the miocene of 

 Licata. 



Belone. — Both jaws are prolonged into a long slender beak. 

 All the dorsal and anal rays connected by membrane. 



The long upper jaw of the " Gar-pike " is formed by the 

 intermaxillaries, which are united by a longitudinal suture. 

 Both jaws are beset with asperities, and with a series of 

 longer, conical-pointed, widely-set teeth. Skimming along 

 the surface of the water, the Gar-pike seize with these long 

 jaws small fish as a bird would seize them with its beak; 

 but their gullet is narrow, so that they can swallow small 

 fish only. They swim with an undulating motion of the 

 body ; although they are in constant activity, their progress 

 through the water is much slower than that of the Mackerels, 

 the shoals of which sometimes appear simultaneously with 

 them on our coasts. Young specimens are frequently met in 

 the open ocean; when very young their jaws are not pro- 

 longed, and during growth the lower jaw is much in advance 

 of the upper, so that these young fishes resemble a Hemi- 

 rhamphus. About fifty species are known from tropical and 

 temperate seas, Belone helone being a common fish on the 

 British coast. Its bones, like those of all its congeners, are 

 green; and therefore the fish, although good eating, is dis- 

 liked by many persons. Some species attain a length of five 

 feet. 



ScoMBRESOX. — Both jaws are prolonged into a long slender 

 beak. A number of detached finlets behind the dorsal and anal 

 fins. 



The "Saury" or "Skipper" resemble the Gar-pike, but 

 the teeth in the jaws are minute ; they seem to feed chiefly 

 on soft pelagic animals. In their habits they are stiU more 

 pelagic; and the young, in which the beak is still unde- 

 veloped, are met with everywhere in the open ocean, in the 



