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large plates as wliite as snow. It is called Salmon 

 Pike, Wliite Pike, White Jack or White Pickerel, 

 and Picaneau blanc by the Missourians. It has a short 

 and thick head, eyes not very large, and situated 

 upwards. Pectoral and abdominal fins trapezoidal. 

 Dorsal fin beginning behind these last and extending 

 over the anal. The number of transversal bands is 

 twelve or more, rather distant and with the concav- 

 ity towards the head. It reaches the length of five 

 feet. Lateral line nearly straight. 



XXVIII Genus. Garfish. Lepisosteus. Lepisoste 



Body cylindrical or fusiform, covered with hard 

 bony scales, vent posterior. Head bony scaleless. 

 Jaws very long, and with strong unequal teeth. 

 Opening of the gills very large. Tail obliqual. All 

 the fins with rays. One dorsal fin behind the abdom- 

 inal fins which are removed from the vent. 



The Garfishes or Gars, are easily known from the 

 Pikes by their large and hard scales. This fine genus 

 had been overlooked by Linneus and united with 

 the Pikes. Lacepede was the first to distinguish it; 

 but he has not been able to ascertain nor elucidate 

 its numerous species. He has blended all the North 

 American species under the name of Lepisosteus gavial, 

 the type of which was the Esox osseus of Linneus, or 

 rather the Alligator fish of Catesby. I find that Dr. 

 Mitchill, in a late publication, describes another 

 species quite new under the obsolete name of Esox 

 osseus. I shall describe and distinguish accurately 

 five species living in the Ohio or Mississippi, which 

 must be divided into two subgenera. To this num- 

 ber [III. i68] must be added three other known 

 species, i. L. gavial, the Garfish or Alligator fish. 



