806 



CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



ing the fresh waters of America * ; but as no figures of 

 them have been published, or no specimens have reached 

 England, -we know, as yet, very little about them. 



( L 255.) The other genera or sub-genera placed by 

 authors in this family, will be noticed in the systematic 

 part ; and now. having selected what appear to be the 

 most prominent types of form, we will place these toge- 

 ther, and ascertain what analogous resemblances to them 

 can be found in other groups. In the first instance, we 

 shall compare the whole of the tribe or family of SaU 

 monidce with the circle (subsequently to be made out) of 

 the Scomberida, in order to show the relation of the pikes 

 to the sword-fish. 



Sub-families of the Analane* Types of the 



Salmonidte. Analogies. Scomberid^. 



SALMOXIXi. 



("Mouth large: teeth strong; belly C -.. 



I not compressed. ^lnymnus. 



r.,™™~,» f Mouth and teeth small: bellv f q^^,,^ 



CtcPEi> i. I compressed. [ Scomber. 



ES0CIN\£. 



f Mouth large; jaws excessively} 



< developed, one or both being VXiphia 



(_ very long and pointed. J 



Mormyrixje. { ^"gthS? 811 ' mUZZlegreatly ] Fistularia. 



Cyprixje. ? Lepidosaurns (?). 



At present we must confine ourselves to one of these 

 analogies, or that between the pikes and the sword-fish, 

 than which nothing can be stronger. The analogy of 

 Mormyrus to Fistularia, both with their long snouts, 

 yet little mouths, is also sufficiently evident ; and there 

 is a remote resemblance between the two first groups : 

 the relation, however, to the tw r o latter we cannot make 

 out, but this point will be returned to hereafter. 



{256.) We shall next compare the foregoing divisions 

 of the EsocincB with the malacopterygious families ; 

 chiefly with a view of showing that Lepisosteus is the 

 representation of the Siluridce in its own family. 



* Ichthyolosia Ohiensis, or Nat. Hist, of the Fishes inhabiting the River 

 Ohio and its Tributary Streams. Lexington, 1820. 



