81 
The first group, containing most of the fresh 
water fish, have the ventral fins situated before 
the pectorals. 
The next family ( Cyprinidee ) have a small 
mouth, feeble and generally toothless jaws, 
edged by the intermaxillary bones, and a 
strongly-toothed palate, and soft false fin on the 
back. These fish mostly feed on water-plants. 
Amongst them are the Carp (Cyprinus carpio ), 
Tench (Cyprinus tinea). Bream (Cyprinus brama ), 
Barbel (Cyprinus barbus ), Loach ( Cobitis ), and 
the Anableps, which is peculiar for the eye 
being divided across, so that it appears to have 
four eyes, as in the Gyrini and many other 
water-insects. The female is viviparous. 
The family of Pikes ( Esocidce ), also, are 
without any soft dorsal fin, and the upper jaws 
are edged by the intermaxillaries. In most of 
the genera, the dorsal fin is placed opposite the 
anal. They are generally voracious, and live 
on smaller fish. 
In many of these the jaws and palate are 
strongly toothed, as in the common Pike (Esox 
lucius ); in others, as the Gar-Pike (Esox be - 
lone), the jaws are slender, and very much 
lengthened out. In one genus, the Half-Beaks 
(. Hemiramphus ), the lower jaw alone is length¬ 
ened out, and the mouth is oblique, and placed 
at its base. The Flying-Fish ( Exocetus) belong 
to this family; they are peculiar for the great 
g length 
ROOM XI 
