150 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Genus I. — Scij;na (Artedi), Giiuier. 



John.us, Bloch : Can-ina and StelUfer, Cnvier: Sola, sp. Ham. Bucli. : 

 Leiustomw:, Cuv. and Val. : Coraciiias, Pallas: Eovioprion, Holb. : Amblyodon, 

 Raf. : Chrilotrema, t. Tsch. . Qenyonemus, Plagioscion, Sciwnops, Bairdiella, 

 Haploinodotus, llkinoscion and OpMo scion, Gill : Diplolepis, Steind. : Pseudoscicena, 

 Bleeker. 



BrancMostegals seven: pseudobraiicMce present. Body ohlong, rather elongated 

 and compressed. Byes of moderate size. Interorhital space hroad, convex. Snout 

 rounded, sometimes overhanging the upper jaw, which last is longer than the lower, 

 or both are of about equal length. Clrft of mouth nearly or quite horizontal. No 

 central barbel beneath the symjihysis of the lo-trer jaw. Teeth villiform, with an outer 

 enlarged row in the piremaxiUuries, and sometimes the inner row in the mandibles 

 is enlarged. No distinct canines. Two dorsal fins, the first with 9-10 spines and 

 connected at its base to the second ivhich is of moderate length (23-32 rays). Anal 

 with one or tioo spines. Scales ctenoid or cycloid, extending over the head and snout, 

 and generally more or less present over the bases of the vertical fins and on the tail. 

 Air-bladder present (except ifi some American species). Pyloric appendages in 

 m-oderate numbers or few. 



Bleeker divided this genus into Pseudoscicena taving the inner row of teeth 

 in tlie lower jaw distinctly tlie larger, and Johnius without anj such enlarged row. 



Salvianus considered the term Scii:e)ia derived from <jKih, a shade or shadow, 

 denoting the rapidity of its movements as it flits through the water : Rondelet, 

 however, considered the shadows or bands related to the markings on the sides of 

 the fish. M. Dufosse states that the sounds emitted by these fishes have a mean of 

 twenty-five seconds, and also various notes, usually degenerating into a humming 

 sound, either from an excess or want of intensity. He suggests that the song of 

 the fabled Sirens had its origin in the utterances of shoals of maigres, and tells 

 us also, on what he believed to be reliable testimony, that a sea captain going 

 up the Gironde when he first heard the maigres song, was thrown into great 

 alarm, sujDposing that his vessel had sprung a leak and water was flowing into 

 his hold. 



Geographical distribution. — From Scandinavia to the British shores and 

 Mediterranean, through the Atlantic, Indian, and North Pacific Oceans, being 

 most abundant in their tropical portions. Also the fresh waters of the United 

 States. 



Some ascend fresli water rivers, as the S. coitor, H. B., in India : while others 

 as )S'. BicJiardsouil, C. V. reside entirely in Lake Huron. 



1. Scisena aquila, Plate L. 



Sici'va, Aristot. Hist. Anim. viii, c. 19. 



Latus, Rondel, v, c. 10, p. 135, c. fig. ; Gesner, ed. 1598, f. 29, c. fig. Umbra, 

 Salvian. fol. 105(t ; Bclon. pp. 117, 119. SciKna sive Umbra, Jonston, De Piso. 

 lib. 3, t. ii, c. 1, art. 13, p. 51, t. xv, f. 9. Umbra Bondeletii, Will. p. 299, t. S 19. 

 Muigri', Dnhamel, Peches, ii, sect, vi, jr. 137, pi. i, f. 3. 



Babrus liolulepidotus, Lacep. iii, p. 517, pi. xxi, f. 2. 



)Sc/ieMa iM/i&n), Lacep. iv, p. 314; Cuv. Mem. Mus. i, p. 1 and Regne Anim. 



(Jliriludijiterus aquila, Lacep. v, p. 085. 



Brrca vanjoo, Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 298, t. ix, f. 30. 



Scifena aquila, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 411; Cuv. and Val. v, p. 28, pi. c ; 

 Neill, Edin. New. Phil. Journ., April, 1826, p. 135; Plem. Brit. Anim. p. 213 ; 

 Parnell, Fish. Firth of Forth, p. 40, and Wern. Mem. vii, p. 200 ; Tarrell, Brit. 

 Fish. (Ed. 1), i, p. 90, c. fig. (Ed. 2j, i, p. 104 (Ed. .3), ii, p. 104; Nilss. Skan. 

 Fauna, p. 756 ; Cuv. Regne Anim. 111. Poissons ; Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 352 ; 

 Thompson, N. H. Ireland, iv, p. 90 ; White, Catal Brit. Fish. p. 16 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. ii, p. 291, and Miis. Godef. ix, p. 105 ; Schlegel, De Dieren Neder. p. 21, 

 pi.ii, f. 3; Steind. Ich. Span. u. Port. 1867, p. 38; Winther, Prod. Ich. Dan. 

 Miir. p. 12 ; Giglioli, Cut. Peso. Ital. 1880, p. 24 ; Morcau, Poiss. France, ii, p. 398. 



