FLYING-I'ISH. 621 



Atlantic as well as in the Pacific. The European species, Sc. 

 sauTUs, is not rare on the British coast ; four other species 

 have been described, closely allied to Sc. saurus. 



HEMiRHAMPHTJS.^The lower jaw only is prolonged into a 

 long slender beak. 



In the young both jaws are short; the upper is never 

 prolonged, the intermaxUlaries forming a triangular, more or 

 less convex, plate. The " Half-beaks " are common between 

 and near the tropics ; some forty species are known, none of 

 which attain to the same length as the Gar-pike, scarcely 

 ever exceeding a length of two feet. Some of the tropical 

 species live in fresh water only ; they are of small size and 

 viviparous. 



Aerhamphxts. — Mouth formed as in Hemirhamphus, except 

 that the lower jaw is not produced into a beak. Pectoral fins 

 of moderate length. 



One species (A. sclerolepis) from the coast of Queensland 

 (not New Zealand) ; it may be regarded as a Hemirhamphus, 

 with retarded development of the lower jaw. 



EXOCOBTXTS. — Jaws short, intermaxillaries and maxillaries 

 separate. Teeth minute, rudimental, and sometimes absent. 

 Body moderately oblong, covered with rather large scales. 

 Pectorals very long, an organ of flying. 



Forty-four different kinds of " Flying-fishes " are known 



Fig. 281. — Flying Fish ; Bxocoetus oallopterus. 



from tropical and sub-tropical seas ; some have a very wide 

 range, whilst others seem to remain within one particular 



