CLASS V. PISCES: ORDER 3. TELEOSTEA. 
451 
THE PHARY]SrGOaE"ATHA. 
THE GAR-FISH. 
This division, according to Miiller, embraces two groups, whicli lie calls the Malacopterygii 
and Acanthopterygii, the names adopted by 
Cuvier for his primary division of osseous 
fishes. It contains several remarkable genera. 
Genus BELONE : Belone.—To this be- 
longs the Gar-Fish, B. vulgaris^ two feet 
long, with the under jaw greatly produced ; it 
swims near the surface ; bites at a hook ; 
makes violent resistance when drawn up, and 
emits a strong smell when just taken. It is 
sometimes called Mackerel- Guide, from its preceding the shoals of mackerel when they visit the 
shallows for the purpose of spawning. It is also called Sea-JV^eedle, Long-Nose^ Horn-Fish, &c. 
Common in European seas. 
The Banded Gar-Fish, B. truncata, is found on our coasts. It is highly prized by epicures. 
Genus SCOMBERESOX: Scomberesox. — To this belongs the Skipper or Saury Pike, S. 
saurus, from one to two feet long; 
swims in vast shoals, and when chased 
by the porpoises leaps to the height 
of six or seven feet out of water. 
Sometimes the surface of the sea 
foams with them ; twenty thousand 
have been seen out of the water at 
a time. Found in the European 
seas. 
The BiLL-FisH, S. Storeri, is ten 
to twelve inches long ; is esteemed 
for the table ; abundant on the coast of Newfoundland ; rare on our coast. 
Gemis EXOCJETUS : Exoccetus. — To this belong the True Flying-Fishes. The Common 
Flying-Fish, E. volitans of Pennant, is 
twelve to fourteen inches long, and has 
the ventral fins placed anterior to the 
middle part of the body ; it may thus be 
distinguished from the Flying-Gurnard 
of the Mediterranean, already noticed, 
which has the fins placed behind the mid- 
dle of the body. These fins are also much 
smaller in the true flying-fisbes. The 
species now under consideration belongs 
to the Atlantic, and is most common in 
the tropical portions, though it is occa- 
sionally found on the European and 
American coasts as high as 50° north 
latitude. They are often seen to leap by 
hundreds and even thousands from the water, chased by the dorados and bonitos. They have 
no true power of flight by beating the air and rising upon it with their wings, but only sail 
along, sustaining and prolonging their course by spreading their wings. They rise into the air by 
vigorous leaps, often to the height of twenty feet, and sometimes making a course of six hundred 
feet. Occasionally they have fallen on the decks of ships. There are several other species, two 
or three on our own coasts. 
Genus LABRUS : Labrus. — This includes several genera, the species of which are widely dis- 
THE SAURT PIKE. 
THE FLYING-FISn, 
