344 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
with the anterior margin of the nasal bones. In the 
JExocoetiformes, on the other hand, the maxillary bones 
lie free and mobile, in their ordinary position behind the 
intermaxillary bones, each of which articulates by means 
of a very short nasal process with the anterior end of the 
ethmoid bone, being thus to a certain extent protrusile, 
though generally only slightly so. This difference may 
also be expressed by Bonaparte’s arrangement of these 
forms in two subfamilies, Belonini and Exocoetini , though 
he based the definition of these subfamilies only on the 
greater or less elongation of the pectoral fins, a cha- 
racter which is rendered untenable by the intermediate 
forms. Like Bonaparte, though on different grounds, 
we, therefore, divide these fishes into two subfamilies. 
Subfamily B E L 0 N I N fE. 
Intermaxillary bones , which are entirely without lips , firmly united to each other and to the maxillary bones , and 
articulating by means of a broad edge with the anterior margin of the nasal bones. Lower jaw ( and often the 
upper jaw as well) elongated into a beak or sword. 
The Scandinavian fauna contains two species be- I 
longing to this subfamily, each of them representing i 
a distinct genus: 
A: Only one dorsal and one anal fin; no 
finlets behind them Genus Rampliistoma. 
B: Several (6 — 8) finlets behind the dorsal 
fin as well as the anal Genus Scombresox. 
Genus RAMPHISTOMA. 
Both jaws ( the under one most so) elongated into a long 
closely-set small teeth between the former. Body long , 
the dorsal or 
Klein, who in 1744 gave this genus the name of 
Mastacembelus a , which was afterwards adopted by Blee- 
ker, was indeed the first to define and characterize it. 
However, this name is older than the system of nomen- 
clature now in vogue (Klein did not recognise the 
Linnatan binomial nomenclature), and Gronovius and, 
after his time, Cuvier and Valenciennes have given 
it an entirely different application in ichthyology, a 
circumstance which might easily lead to confusion. As 
we are, therefore, debarred from recognising; this generic 
name, the only course left for us is to adopt the old- 
est binomial name proposed for the genus, which was 
established by Rafinesque in 1815, and afterwards 
adopted by Swainson''. Belone, the name proposed by 
Cuvier'', is more widely known, but two years younger; 
, narrow beak, armed with scattered , large teeth and more 
eel-like and covered with small scales. No finlets behind 
the anal fin. 
and may, therefore, with justice reassume its original 
signification as a Linmean specific name. 
Bamphistoma d , the genus of the Garpikes, contains 
about 50 species recognised up to the present; and its 
geographical range extends all round the world between 
the polar circles, some of the species also occurring in 
fresh water in India and Brazil. They are well-known 
enough, partly on account of their long, narrow beak, 
their eel-shaped, but rather quadrangular body, their 
winding motions, which also remind us of the Eels, 
their mackerel-like coloration, and partly on account 
of the green colour of their bones, which in many 
places has caused them to be suspected of being poi- 
sonous". No grounds, however, have been given for 
this suspicion; and in many places these fishes are much 
“ Hist. Pise. Miss. 4, p. 21. 
5 Nat. Hist. Fish., Amph., Rept., vol. I, p. 296 and vol. II, p. 187. 
c Regne Animal, edit. I, tom. II, p. 185. 
d qagcpog, beak and oroga, mouth. 
e In liis report of the fish and fisheries of New South Wales (p. 83) Tenison-Woods mentions “one or two doubtful cases” of this 
poisoning. See also Littke and Robin, Diet. Medic, art. Veneneux. Kroyer also states that in his time the same belief in the poisonous 
properties of the flesh of the Garpike was current among the populace at certain spots on the west coast of Norway. 
