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principally in the lower parts, also in Lake Pontchar- 

 train, the Mobile, Red River, &c. It has been seen 

 sometimes in the lower parts of the Ohio. It reaches 

 the length of eight to twelve feet, and preys upon all 

 other fishes, even Gars and Alligators. Mr. John 

 D. Clifford told me that he saw one of them fight 

 with an alligator five feet long and succeed in de- 

 vouring him, after cutting him in two in its powerful 

 jaws. My description is made [III. 172] from a 

 sketch drawn by Mr. Clifford, and a jaw bone pre- 

 served in his Museum. These jaws are from twelve 

 to eighteen inches long, and from four to six inches 

 broad. They are crowded with teeth, unequally set, 

 not two of which are alike in size, \j6\ the largest lie 

 towards the end, and have many small ones between 

 them : they are however all of the same structure, 

 implanted in sockets and conical, base grey, striated 

 and hollow, top white smooth, curved and very 

 sharp. The longest measure one and a half inch, 

 and are three quarters of an inch thick at the base. 

 The diameter of the body is nearly one sixth of the 

 total length. The anal and dorsal fins are small and 

 with few rays. It is called the Alligator fish or Alli- 

 gator • gar, and by the Louisianians Poisson Cayman. 

 The scales are large, convex, and rhomboidal. 



XXIX Genus. • Diamond Fish. Litholepis. 

 Litholepe. 



Body fusiform, covered with hard stony pentaedral 

 scales, vent nearly medial. Abdominal fin near the 

 vent. One dorsal fin opposite to the anal. Head 

 bony scaleless protruded anteriorly in a long snout, 

 mouth beneath the head, jaws not elongated, with 

 strong unequal teeth. Opening of the gills very 



