710 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 



and tongue; first dorsal of eight spines; two anal spines; ventrals 

 thoracic; no air-bladder; caudal forked; branch iostegals seven; 

 vertebrae more than twenty-four. 



BLA.OATB, Cuv. 



E. Canada, L. (atlanticus, niger.) Crab-eater. Cobia. Sergeant-fish. 

 Snooks. Ling. 

 Olive brown, with broad, dark band on sides, bounded above 

 and below by an indistinct band ; below silvery ; head much de- 

 pressed ; pectorals falcate ; upper lobe of caudal a little the 

 longer ; lateral line wavy and irregular. Dorsal rays, 26 ; anal 

 rays, 25 ; length, 60 inches. 



"A very rare fish, that occasionally is met with on our coast, 

 and in Delaware Bay." 



Family XIPHIIDiE. 



Swordfishes. 



Large fishes, with upper jaw much prolonged to form the "sword; " 

 teeth small or wanting ; dorsal fin, in adults, in two parts, the anterior 

 the larger; anal similarly divided ; caudal widely forked ; air-bladder 

 and pseudobranchise present ; branchiostegals seven. Young differs 

 from adults in having both jaws prolonged to form a beak, in having 

 dorsal fins high and continuous, and in having spines on head. 



XI PHI AS, L. 

 X. gladius, L. Swordfish. 



Teeth none (except in young) ; ventrals none ; anterior dorsal 

 above gill openings, high and falcate, the second small and above 

 the second anal; skin naked (rudimentary scales in young); 

 pelvic arch obsolete ; color dark blue above, dusky below ; 

 " sword " nearly black above. Dorsal rays, 40 + 4 ; anal rays, 

 18 + 14; vertebrae, 14 -|- 12. Often attain a large size, and are 

 valuable for food. 



" On the coast of New Jersey this interesting species is not 

 abundant ever, although more numerous during some years than 



