| ALLIGATOR GAR. 7715 
Litholepis spatula, JORDAN, Man. Vert., 2d Ed., 342, 1878. 
Litholepis adamantinus, RAFINESQUE, Am. Monthly Mag., 1818, iii, 447; Ich. Oh., 76.— 
JORDAN, Bull. Baff. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1876, 96; Man. Vert., 1st Ed. 
Lepisosteus (Atractosteus) ferox, RAFINESQUE, Ich. Oh., 1820,75.—GIRARD, Pac. R. R. Surv., 
x, 353, 1858. 
Lepisosteus ferox, KIRTLAND, Rept. Zool. Ohio, 1838, 170, 196; Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist, iv, 
18.—STORER, Synopsis, 466. 
Atractosteus ferox, DUMERIL, Hist. Nat. des Poissons, 1870.—JorDAN, Ind. Geol. Surv., 
1874, 227. 
Lepidosteus ( Atractosteus) berlandieri, GIRARD, Pac. R. R. Surv., x, 353. 
Atractosteus lucius, DUMERIL, op. Cit. 
Lepidosteus viridis, GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vili, 329, 1870 (probably net Hsox 
viridis, Gmelin). 
Description.—Body comparatively stout, subterete; head moderate, forming more than 
one-fourth the length; snout broad, depressed, its length being about half of the total 
length of the head; general color olivaceous, the young being more or less spotted, 
especially posteriorly and on the fins. D., 8; A., 8; lat.1., 60. Length, 8 feet or more 
when adult. 
Habitat, warmer parts of America. Central America, Mexico, Cuba, Guif States 
ascending the Mississippi and its tributaries to Kansas, Illinois and Ohio. 
Diagnosis.—The great Alligator Gar may be known from the other 
species by its broad, depressed snout, and by the presence of two series of 
large tecth on each side of the jaw. 
Habits.—The habits of this species are doubtless similar to those of 
the other Gars, except that its greater size may enable it to feed upon 
larger animals. The fish is essentially a tropical species and is probably 
now very rarely seen in the Ohio River. I have never seen a specimen 
from the Ohio River. Dr. Kirtland knew of but two or three having 
been taken in its waters, and Rafinesque apparently saw but the jaws 
of one. Specimens from the Lower Mississippi, Texas and Florida are 
however, not rare in collections. 
This fish, with its coat of mail and long, sharp teeth is, doubtless, a 
formidable one, but its ferocity has probably been somewhat exaggerated 
by newspaper correspondents and other irresponsible writers. 
Rafinesque’s remarks on his “ Litholepis adamantinus” are worth quot- 
ing: 
‘¢ This may be reckoned the wonder of the Ohio. It is only found as far up as the 
falls, and probably lives also in the Mississippi. I have seen it, but only at a distance, 
and have been shown some of its singalar scales. Wonderful stories are related con- 
cerning this fish, but I have principally relied upon the description and figure given me 
by Mr. Audubon. Its length is from 4 to 10 feet. One was caught which weighed 400 
pounds. It lies sometimes asleep or motionless on the surface of the water, and may be 
mistaken for a log ora snag. It is impossible to take it in any other way than with the 
seine or a very strong hook, the prongs of the gig cannot pierce the scales which are as 
