CATALOGUE OF VERTEBRATES. 711 



others. Specimens have been seen by the writer taken at Barne- 

 gat and Atlantic City. They were all small, the largest measur- 

 ing about four feet." — [C. C. A.J 



TBTRAPTURUS, Raf. 



T. indicus, Cuv. & Val. {albidus, herschelii, brevirostris.) Spearfish. 

 Billfish, &c. 



With small teeth; ventrals represented by spines; dorsals 

 low ; skin with rudimentary scales ; double caudal keel ; saccu- 

 lated air-bladder ; caudal fin forked at seventy-five degrees ; 

 color dark blue above, whitish below ; fins like back. Dorsal 

 rays. III -f 39 -|- 6 ; anal rays, II -f- 13 + 6 ; length, 7 to 8 

 feet. Not rare on our coast from Cape Cod to West Indies. 



Family TRICHIURIDiE. 



Hair-tails. 



Ventrals thoracic, imperfect ; body very long, compressed and 

 naked ; mouth wide and toothed ; dorsal long, low, continuous, and 

 with equal and similar rays. 



TRICHIURUS, L. 



(IieptuTus, Art.) 



T. lepturus, L. (argenteus.) Hair-tail. Silver Eel. Ribbon-fish. 



Silver-fin, &c. 



Tail tapers to a fine point ; four barbed teeth in upper jaw ; 

 lower jaw longer ; vertebrae, 39 + 120 ; color silvery ; ventrals 

 absent in adult ; snout pointed. Dorsal rays, 135 ; anal rays, 100. 



" This is not a common species, though more frequently met 

 with during some years than others. A specimen, measuring 

 twenty-two inches, was captured by the writer at Barnegat, in 

 November of 1862, and others have been seen from Cape May 

 and Atlantic City."— [C. C. A.J 



