THE LIBRARY OF THE^UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID A MANUAL OF THE VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES INCLUDING THE DISTRICT NORTH AND EAST OP THE OZARK MOUNTAINS, SOUTH OF THE LAURENTIAN HILLS, NORTH OF THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF VIRGINIA, AND EAST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER INCLUSIVE OF MARINE SPECIES BY DAVID STARR JORDAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANA SEVENTH EDITION. CHICAGO A. C. McCLURG AND COMPANY 1894 A COPYRIGHT BY JANSEN, McCLURG, AND Co. A.D. 1876 COPYRIGHT BY JANSEN, MCCLURG, AND Co. A.D. 1878 COPYRIGHT BY A. C. MCCLURG AND Co, A.D. 1888 PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. THIS book is designed to give to students and collectors a ready means of identifying the Vertebrate fauna of the region which it covers, and of recognizing the characters on which the families, genera, and species of these ani- mals are founded. To these ends, I have made use of a system of analyti- cal keys by which differential characters are brought into contrast. The usefulness of such keys has long been recognized by botanists, and in ornithology the recent works of Coues and Ridgway have proved their value to the student. That the book might not reach a size too large for field or class use, I have made all descriptions very concise, with as few repetitions as possible. I have confined the generic characters to the analytical keys, using as a rule only such characters as are distinctive as well as descrip- tive. The need of condensation has caused the omission of synonymy, and of references to authorities except in special cases. In the first four editions of this work (1876, 1878, 1880, 1884), large use was made of artificial characters in the analyses of the genera. The use of such characters is often a help to quick identification of species, but with the disadvantage of hiding from the student the real char- acters on which classification is based. In the present edition, these artificial keys have been chiefly set aside, M368553 11 PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. and I have tried, with, more or less of success, to set be fore the student the essential characters of each group. The present edition is wholly re-written and it is printed from new stereotype plates. The order of ar rangement is reversed, the lowest forms being placec first. The region covered by the Manual has been extended in the present edition so as to include, in addition, Mis souri, Iowa, Minnesota, the Provinces of Canada, and the sea-coast from Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras. The deep sea fishes of this region are, however, omitted, as well as the tropical and semi-tropical forms which occasionall} drift northward in the Gulf Stream, without gaining anj permanent place in the northern fauna. Several species of birds which have been once or twice taken in our limits but which are merely accidental wanderers from the We si or South or from Europe, have also been omitted. I have wished to include only those animals which really form £ part of the fauna of the region in question. I have made free use of every available source of infor mation, and I believe that the present state of our knowl edge in this field is fairly represented. The arrangement of the fishes is essentially that of Jordan and Gilbert's " Synopsis of the Fishes of North America " (1883), and almost exactly that of Jordan's " Catalogue of the Fishes of North America " (1885). The manuscript of the f rest water fishes, in the present edition, has been carefully re vised by Prof. Charles H. Gilbert. The arrangement of the Batrachians and Eeptiles is essentially that set forth in the various papers of Prof Edward D. Cope. I have made use of Boulenger's Cata- logues of the Eeptiles in the British Museum, and of the " Catalogue of North American Batrachia and Keptilia ' by N. S. Davis and Frank L. Eice. The manuscripts oJ the Eeptiles and Batrachians have been revised by Prof O. P. Hay. PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. Ill In the nomenclature and classification of the Birds, I have followed exactly the " Check List of North Ameri- can Birds," published by the American Ornithologists' Union. In the preparation of analytical keys to the genera of Birds, I have made large use of Kidgway's " Manual of North American Birds/7 and of Coues' " Key to North American Birds." In the arrangement of the Mammals, I have been guided primarily by Professor Baird's " History of North American Mammals." In the Kodentia, I have made use of the elaborate monographs of Dr. Elliott Coues and Dr. J. A. Allen ; and in the other groups reviewed by Dr. Coues, I have adopted most of his conclusions. In the Cetaceans, I have used chiefly the papers of Mr. Frederick W. True and Prof. E. D. Cope, and both these naturalists have kindly furnished me with unpublished catalogues of the species recognized by them. In the preparation of the present edition I am also personally indebted for aid in various ways to Prof. Ed- ward D. Cope, Mr. Leonhard Stejneger, Prof. Charles H. Gilbert, Prof. Oliver P. Hay, Mr. Frederick W. True, Mr. Kobert Kidgway, Mr. Amos W. Butler, Dr. J. Sterling Kingsley, Mr. Charles H. Bollman, Dr. Stephen A. Forbes, Mr. Barton W. Evermann, and others. I may again refer to the obligations acknowledged in the earlier edition, — especially to my indebtedness to Dr. Elliott Coues, Dr. Theodore Gill, Dr. G. Brown Goode, Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, Prof. Herbert E. Copeland, and Mr. Edward W. Nelson, DAVID S. JORDAN. BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, June, 1888. THE VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES. VERTEBEATA. (THE VERTEBRATES.) THE Vertebrates are, in popular language, "animals with a back-bone." They are distinguished from all other animals, says Professor Huxley, " by the circumstance that a transverse and vertical section of the body exhibits two cavities, completely sep- arated from one another by a partition. The dorsal cavity contains the cerebro-spinal nervous system ; the ventral, the alimentary canal, the heart, and, usually, a double chain of ganglia, which passes under the name of the ' sympathetic.' A vertebrated ani- mal may be devoid of articulated limbs, and it never possesses more than two pairs. These are always provided with an internal skeleton, to which the muscles moving the limbs are attached." Modern researches have shown that, besides the ordinary " back- boned animals," certain other creatures, formerly considered as Mollusks or Worms, are really degenerate forms of Vertebrates, and must be considered as members, or at least as associates, of this group. The resemblance to the other Vertebrates on the part of the forms in question is seen in their early or larval develop- ment, and scarcely at all in the adult condition. " Many of the species start in life with the promise of reaching a point high in the scale, but after a while they turn around, and, as one might say, pursue a downward course, which results in an adult which dis- plays but few resemblances to the other vertebrates." (Kingsley.) These are the Tunicates or Ascidians, forming the Class or Prov- ince of " Urochordata." The essential character of the Vertebrata, in the broad sense of the term, is now understood to be this : " The 6 VERTEBRATA. possession of a cellular cord, — the ' notochord,' — which runs un- derneath the central nervous system, and which in the higher forms is surrounded by the permanent vertebral column and skull, and is largely obliterated by the development of these structures. So the term CHORDATA is frequently employed as synonymous with VER- TEBRATA in its wide sense." (R. R. Wright.) Without further discussion of the VERTEBRATA or "CHOR- DATA" as a whole, we may proceed to the account of the several subordinate groups or classes. The existing forms may first be divided into about six primary groups, which have beer\ called " provinces " by Professor Huxley. These are (I) the Uroclior- data, including the class Tunicata ; (II) the Hemichordata or En- teropneusta ; (III) the Cephalochordata, corresponding to the class Leptocardii : (IV) the Ichthyopsida, including the classes of Cyclo- stomi, Pisces, and Batrachia; (V) the Sauropsida, including the Reptilia and Aves; and finally (VI) the Mammalia, correspond- ing to the single class of the same name. The relations of these provinces and classes are shown in the following analysis taken, in part, from Dr. Gill's " Arrangement of the Families of Fishes." Only the more obvious characters are here mentioned. Others may be found in the more elaborate works on Comparative Anatomy. Analysis of the Classes of Chordata. a. Anterior end of the central nervous axis not dilated into a brain, and not surrounded by a protective capsule or skull. b. Notochord confined to the tail and usually present only in the tadpole- like larval stage of the animal (UROCHORDATA) : adult animal not fish-like nor worm-like, its body invested with a tough envelope or "tunic." TUNICATA, A. bb. Notochord not confined to the tail, but extending forward to the anterior end of the body; sides of body with numerous gill slits which are persistent through life. d. Notochord developed in anterior end of body only (HEMICHOR- DATA): adult animal worm-like, without trace of fins; a long proboscis before the mouth ENTEROPNEUSTA, B. dd. Notochord perfect, continued forward to a point before the mouth (CEPHALOCHORDATA) : body elongate, lanceolate, somewhat fish- like in form, not worm-like nor enveloped in a "tunic"; middle line of body with rudimentary fins; no proboscis; the mouth slit- like, fringed with cirri. ..... ... LEPTOCARDII, C. aa. Anterior end of the nervous axis dilated into a " brain," which is con- tained within a protective capsule, the " skull " ; notochord not continued forwards beyond the pituitary body; heart developed and divided into at least two parts, an auricle and a ventricle. (CRA- NIOTA.) e. Respiration during part or the whole of life performed by means of gills; blood cold. (ICHTHYOPSIDA.) VERTEBEATA. 7 f. Skull imperfectly developed and without jaws ; paired fins un- developed, with no shoulder girdle or pelvic elements ; a single median nostril ; gills purse-shaped; skin naked ; skeleton car- tilaginous CYCLOSTOMI, D. ff. Skull well developed, and with jaws; shoulder girdle and pelvic elements developed; nostrils not median. g. Limbs developed as rayed fins (rarely abortive) ; rayed fins nor- mally present on the median line of the body ; respiration throughout life by means of gills ; lungs usually not developed. PISCES, E. gg. Limbs not developed as rayed fins, but, if present, having the same skeletal elements as in the higher vertebrates ; respiration in the adult chiefly accomplished by means of lungs, the gills usually not persistent ; skin usually naked BATRACHIA, F. ee. Respiration performed throughout life by means of lungs, the gill slits disappearing before birth. h. Mammary glands not present; diaphragm incomplete; a single occipital condyle; oviparous (or sometimes ovoviviparous), the young hatched from a rather large egg. (SAUROPSIDA.) t. Exoskeleton developed as scales or bony plates; blood cold; heart with three (rarely four) cavities. . . REPTILIA, G. u. Exoskeleton developed as feathers; blood warm; heart with four cavities AVES, H. hh. Mammary glands present; the young developed within the body from a minute egg (except in the Monotremata), and nourished for a time after birth by milk secreted in the mammary glands ; exoskeleton developed as hair; two occipital condyles; dia- phragm complete; heart with four cavities ; blood warm. MAMMALIA, I. Of these classes, the Tunicata (A) and the Enter opneusta (B) are excluded from the plan of the present work. The Tunicata are all marine forms, of small size, the larger species being familiarly known as " Sea Squirts," « Sea Peaches," and « Sea Pears " ; but the most of them are without common names. A considerable number of species, representing several families, are found on our Atlantic coast. The Enteropneusta consist of the single genus Balanoglossus, a worm-like creature, of which two or three species are found on our coasts. They reach a length of six to twelve inches. They have been considered as worms having possible affinities with the Echinoderms, but the recent studies of Mr. William Bateson seem to show conclusively that their place is among the Chordata. Leaving these groups aside, we take up LEPTOCARDII : CIRROSTOMI. — I. CLASS C. — LEPTOCARDII. (THE LANCELETS.) Skeleton membrano-cartilaginous ; no brain ; no skull ; the noto- chord persistent and extending to front of body; no heart, its place being taken by pulsating sinuses ; blood colorless ; respiratory cav- ity confluent with cavity of abdomen ; gill slits in great number ; the water expelled from an abdominal pore in front of vent ; no jaws; the mouth inferior, slit-like, with cirri on each side. (Gr. XeTTTor, thin ; KapSia, heart.) ORDER I. CIRROSTOMI. The single order of this class contains but a single family. (Lat., cirrus, hair ; Gr. oro/ia, mouth.) FAMILY I. BRANCHIOSTOMATID^B. (THE LANCELETS.) Body elongate-lanceolate, compressed, naked, colorless, the fins represented by a low fold which extends along the back around the tail, past the vent, to the abdominal pore ; eye rudimentary ; liver a blind sac of the simple intestine. One genus, with 5 or 6 species; small, translucent creatures found imbedded in the sand on warm coasts. These animals are highly interesting to the anatomist as showing the vertebrate type in its simplest condition. 1. BRANCHIOSTOMA Costa. (AmpUoxus Yarrell.) (/3payxta, gills ; oro/na, mouth.) 1. B. caribseum Sundevall. LANCELET. Muscular bands (myocommas) 55 to 60 (37 -f- 14 + 9 = 60) ; tail short ; extremi- ties attenuate. (Otherwise as in the European B. lanceolatum, which has 56 to 60 myocommas; 35 -{- 12 -f 13 = 60). N. Y. to S. A. buried in soft sand, locally abundant. (Name from Carib- bean Sea.) MYXINHLE. — H. CLASS D. CYCLOSTOMI. (THE MYZONTS.) Skeleton cartilaginous ; skull imperfect, not separate from ver- tebral column; no jaws ; no limbs ; no ribs ; no shoulder girdle nor pelvic elements ; gills in the form of fixed sacs, 6 or more on each side ; nostril single, median ; mouth subinferior, nearly circular, adapted for sucking; heart without arterial bulb; alimentary canal straight, simple ; vertical fins with feeble rays. Naked, eel- shaped animals found in all cool waters. (Gr. KVK\O$, circle ; ord/ia, mouth.) Orders of Cyclostomi. a. Nostril tube-like with cartilaginous rings, penetrating the palate; gill openings remote from the head; no eyes HYPEROTRETA, 2. aa. Nostril a blind sac not entering the palate ; gill openings close behind the head ; eyes well developed in the adult. . . . HYPEROARTIA, 2. ORDER II. HYPEROTRETA. Characters as given above. Only one family. (\nrtptpa, palate ; rprjrosj perforate.) FAMILY II. MYXINIDuE. (THE HAG-FISHES.) Snout with eight barbels ; no lips ; a median tooth on the palate and two rows on each side of the tongue, which is a powerful organ with a strong fibrous tendon moving in a muscular sheath ; each side of abdomen with a series of mucous sacs ; no eyes ; intestine without spiral valve ; skin thin and loose ; eggs large, with a horny case and threads for adhesion ; genera 2 ; species 4 or 5. Lamprey- like animals, burrowing into the flesh of fishes, on which they feed ; marine. a. Gill openings one on each side, this leading by six ducts to six branchial sacs MYXINE, 2. 2. MYXINE Linnaeus. (Gr. j*v£a, slime.) 2. M. glutinosa L. HAG-FISH, BORER. Bluish ; head 3j to 4 in length. N. AtL, S. to Cape Cod. (Eu.) 10 CYCLOSTOMI: HYPEROARTIA. — III. ORDER III. HYPEROARTIA. Characters given above. One family only. ({/Trepwa, palate ; aprios, complete.) FAMILY III. PETROMYZONTID^l. (THE LAMPREYS.) Body eel-shaped, naked, compressed behind ; mouth subcircular, armed with horny teeth, which rest on papillae ; gill openings 7, arranged in a row along the side of the " chest " ; lips present, fringed ; nostril on top of head, just in front of eyes ; dorsal fin more or less notched ; intestine with a spiral valve ; eggs small. The lampreys undergo a metamorphosis, the larva of all species being toothless and having the eyes rudimentary. The name Ammocoetes was formerly applied to the larval forms ; originally, however, to that of A. branchialis. Genera 3 or 4, species about 15, chiefly of the fresh waters of temperate regions. They attach themselves to fishes, and feed by scraping off the flesh with their rasp-like teeth. a. Second dorsal joined to the caudal. b. Supraroral lamina ("maxillary tooth ") expanded laterally, forming a crescent-shaped plate, with a cusp at each end, and sometimes a median cusp ; anterior lingual teeth serrate ....... AMMOCCETES, 3. bb. Supraoral lamina contracted, of two or three teeth close together; discal teeth numerous, in concentric series; buccal disk large (in adult, very small in larva) ........... PETROMYZON, 4. 3. AMMOCOQTES Dumeril. (a/i/ior, sand ; KOITT/, bed.) a. Supraoral lamina with a very small median cusp or none; edge of anterior lingual tooth small, crescent-shaped, dentate, the median denticle en- larged; buccal disk small, with few teeth. (AMMOCCETES.) 3. A. branchialis (L.). MUD LAMPREY. BROOK LAMPREY. Dorsal continuous, deeply notched, both parts high; about 3 bicuspid teeth on each side of buccal disk ; the other teeth sim- ple ; infraoral plate with 5 to 9 blunt subequal cusps ; head with gills 4| ; myocommas 6 7, between gills and vent ; an anal papilla present in spring. Color bluish black. L. 8. Cayuga L. (Meek) to Minn, and Ky., ascending brooks in spring. (Eu.) (P. niger, Raf., not of Lacepede.) (Lat., having gills.) 4. PETROMYZON (Artedi) Linnaeus, (rrerpa, stone ; fiv'£a>, to suck.) a. Anterior lingual tooth divided in two by a median groove ; dorsal fin con- tinuous, with a broad notch. (Ichthyomyzon Girard.) 4. P. castaneus (Girard). Supraoral lamina (maxillary tooth) tricuspid ; some lateral teeth bicuspid ; infraoral lamina (mandib- PETROMYZONTID.E. — III. 1 1 ulary tooth) with 7 to 12 cusps. Color yellowish. L. 10. Miss. Valley, Minn, to Kans. and La. (Ichth. hirudo Girard.) (Lat., chestnut-colored.) 5. P. concolor (Kirtland). Supraoral lamina bicuspid; teeth on disk all simple, and placed in about 4 concentric series ; infra- oral lamina with 7 cusps ; head 1\ ; with gills 4f ; 51 muscular im- pressions between gills and vent. Color bluish silvery, sometimes mottled ; a small bluish spot above each gill opening, — this found even in the larva. L. 1 2. L. Erie to Mo. and N., a common para- site on the Sturgeon and other large fishes. (P. argenteus Kirtland, not of Bloch.) (Lat., uniformly colored.) aa. Anterior lingual tooth with a deep median groove, and extending in an incurved point ; dorsal fin divided. (Petromyzon.) 6. P. marinus L. GREAT SEA LAMPREY. " LAMPER EEL." Supraoral lamina bicuspid ; infraoral cusps 7 to 9 ; first row of lateral teeth on side of mouth bicuspid ; the others simple ; myo- commas, 64 between gills and vent ; males in spring usually with an elevated fleshy ridge before the dorsal. Color dark brown, usually mottled with blackish. L. 3 feet. N. Atlantic, S. to Va., ascending rivers to spawn, and permanently land-locked (var. «m- color, Dekay) in the lakes of W. and N. N. Y. The larva is blind, toothless, with a contracted mouth, in which the lower lip forms a lobe distinct from the upper. The eyes appear before the mouth is enlarged. (Eu.) In the spring the Lamprey ascends small brooks for the purpose of de- positing its spawn. They are then often found clinging to stones and clods of earth. Later in the season they disappear, and are seldom seen except when attached to some unlucky fish. They are rarely seen descending the stream, and "it is thought by fishermen that they never return, but waste away and die, clinging to rocks and stumps of trees for an indefinite period; a tragic feature in the scenery of the river bottoms worthy to be remembered with Shakespeare's description of the sea floor." (Thoreau.) 12 PISCES. CLASS E. — PISCES. (THE FISHES.) A " fish " in the popular sense is a member of any one of the three classes of aquatic or fish-like vertebrates, the groups here designated as Leptocardii, Marsipobranchii, and Pisces. But the Lancelets and the Lampreys differ so widely from the other groups that we must exclude them from consideration as fishes. Many writers go still further and remove from the Pisces, the Sharks, Chimceras, and Dipnoans, but for our present purposes all these may be referred to the same class as the true fishes, or Teleosts. The Pisces or " Fishes " may then be defined as cold-blooded ver- tebrates adapted for life in the water, breathing by means of gills which are not purse-shaped, but attached to bony or cartilaginous gill arches ; having the skull well developed and with a lower jaw ; with the limbs present and developed as fins, or rarely wanting through atrophy ; with shoulder girdle present, furcula-shaped, curved forward and with the sides connected below ; with pelvic bones present \ having the exoskeleton developed as scales or bony plates or horny appendages, sometimes obsolete, and with the me- dian line of body with one or more fins composed of cartilaginous rays connected by membrane. The existing representatives of the class Pisces may be conveniently divided into four subclasses : Selachii or Elasmobranchii, Holocephali, Teleostomi, and Dipnoi, The last group (Ceratodus, Lepidosireri) has well-developed lungs and the paired fins flipper-like. It forms a connecting link be- tween the Ganoidei and the Balrachia. As there are no North American species of Dipnoi, the group needs no further men- tion in this work. Subclasses of Pisces. a. Gills not free, being attached to the skin by the outer margin. Ova few and large, impregnated and sometimes developed internally: embryo with deciduous external gills ; membrane bones of head undeveloped, except sometimes a rudimentary opercle; skeleton cartilaginous; skull without sutures; tail heterocercal ; ventral fins abdominal; male with large intromittent organs or claspers attached to ventral fins; skin naked or covered with minute rough scales, sometimes with spines ; no air-bladder; arterial bulb with three series of valves; intestine with a spiral valve; optic nerves united by a chiasma; cerebral hemispheres united. 6. Gill openings slit-like, 5 to 7 in number; jaws distinct from the skull, joined to it by suspensory bones ; no membrane bones; teeth distinct. (Sharks and Skates.) SELACHH, page 14. PISCES. 13 bb. Gill opening single, leading to four gill clefts ; jaws coalescent with the skull; a rudimentary opercle ; teeth coalescent forming bony plates. ( Chimairas.) HOLOCEPHALI, page 24. aa. Gills free, attached at base only to the gill arches; gill opening single on each side ; eggs comparatively small and numerous ; no claspers ; mem- brane bones present on head; cerebral hemispheres not united. ( True Fishes.) . TELEOSTOMI, page 25. 14 SELACHH: SQUALL — IV. SUBCLASS SELACHH. (THE SELACHIANS.) This group, sufficiently defined above, includes two orders, the Sharks and the Rays, — marine fishes of large size, abundant in most seas. (Gr. o-e'Xa^os, shark.) Orders of Selachii. o. Gill openings lateral SQUALI, 4. aa. Gill openings ventral RAI.E, 5. ORDER IV. SQUALI. (THE SHARKS.) The typical sharks are elongate in form, quite unlike the skates in appearance. Intermediate forms connect the two groups so closely that the position of the gill openings is the only constant character by which the two orders can be separated. (Lat., a shark, from Gr. yoXeds, allied to yaXer), a weasel.) NOTE. — The Sharks are mostly fishes of the high seas, and any of the larger Atlantic species may stray to our coasts. Besides those here described, the following have been at least once taken within our limits '. — EchlnorJiinus spinosus (Gmelin), Cape Cod; Centrocyllium fabricii (Rein- hardt), off Gloucester; Centroscymnus ccelolepis (Bocage & Capello), Glou- cester; Pseudotriacis microdon (Capello), Long Island; Aprionodon isodon (Miiller & Henle); Isogomphodon limbatus (Muller & Henle), Wood's Holl. Omitting extralimital families, we have the following analysis of Families of Squali. o. Pectoral fins moderate, without deep notch at base in front; gill openings 5. 6. Anal fin wanting. c. Dorsal fins each with a stout spine SQUALID ^E, 4. cc. Dorsal fins without spine. . . , SOMNIOSIDJE, 5. bb. Anal fin present; both dorsals without spine, the first inserted before the ventrals. d. Caudal fin not lunate, the upper lobe very much longer than the lower, with a notch below, towards its tip; side of tail without keel. e. Last gill opening above base of pectoral. /. Tail moderately developed, not half length of rest of body; eyes with nictitating membrane. g. Head kidney-shaped or hammer-shaped, much wider than long. SPHYRNID^:, 6. gg. Head normally formed GALEORHINID^E, 7. ff. Tail very long, as long as rest of body; no nictitating mem- brane ALOPIID^E, 8. SQUALID^:. — iv. 15 ee. Last gill opening before base of pectoral; dorsal fins subequal. CAKCHAKIID^K, 9. d d. Caudal fin lunate, the lower lobe not much shorter than the upper ; tail with a keel on each side, last gill opening before pectorals. h. Gill openings rather large; teeth large ..... LAMNID.E, 10. hh. Gill openings very large, nearly meeting both above and below; teeth small (largest of all fishes) ..... CETORHINID^E, 11. aa. Pectoral fins very large, wing-like, expanded at the base in front, this ex- pansion being separated from the neck by a deep notch ; no anal fin. SQUATINID^E, 12. FAMILY IV. SQUALID^. (THE DOG-FISHES.) Sharks with two dorsal fins, each armed with a stout spine, and without anal fin ; no nictitating membrane ; spiracles moderate ; gill openings narrow, all before pectorals ; ventral fins inserted posteriorly ; teeth small, compressed ; nostrils inferior, near front of snout. Genera 6 ; species about 15; small sharks, chiefly of the Atlantic. (Spinacidce Auct.) a. Teeth in both jaws, simple, subquadrate, each with a nearly horizontal cutting edge, and a point directed outward; dorsal spines strong. SQUALUS, 5. 5. SQUALUS (Artedi) Linnaeus. 7. S. acanthias L. DOG-FISH. Dorsal spines not grooved; slate-color, back with whitish spots fading with age. L. 3 feet. North Atl., S. to Cuba; abundant N., its liver valued for the "Dog-fish oil." (.Ew.) (Gr. anavQlas, having spines.) V. SOMNIOSID^l. (THE SLEEPER SHARKS.) Sharks with two dorsal fins, both without spine, and no anal fin, the first dorsal much before ventrals, otherwise essentially as in the Squalidce. Genera 5 ; species 5 or 6, mostly large sharks of the Atlantic. a. Dorsal fins about equal ; upper teeth lancet-shaped, incurved ; lower quad- rate with a horizontal edge, ending in a point directed outwards ; fins very small ................ SOMNIOSUS, 6. 6. SOMNIOSUS Le Sueur. (Lat., sleepy.) 8. S. microcephalus (Bloch). SLEEPER. NURSE. Color blackish ; caudal blunt. L. 10 to 18 feet. Arctic seas, S. to Cape Cod. (Eu.) (piiepos) small ; Ke^oXq, head.) FAMILY VI. SPHYRNID^l. (THE HAMMER-HEADED SHARKS.) Characters of the Galeorhinidce, except that the head has a form hammer-shaped or kidney-shaped, its sides being much extended, the eyes borne at the ends of the hammer. One genus, with 4 or 5 species; large sharks of the warm seas. 16 SELACHII : SQUALL — IV. 7. SPHYRNA Rafinesque. (An old name from vpa, hammer.) o. Teeth in both jaws oblique, each with a notch on the outside near the base ; no spiracles. b. Head truly hammer-shaped; a long groove extending forward from nostrils. (Sphyrna.) . 9. S. zygaena (L.). HAMMER-HEADED SHARK. Width of u hammer " twice its length. Gray. L. 15 to 20 feet. All warm seas, N. to Cape Cod. (Eu.~) (An old name from £vydvt a cross- beam.) bb. Head kidney-shaped, the frontal groove obsolete. (Reniceps, Gill.) 10. S. tiburo (L.). BONNET-HEAD SHARK. Width of "ham- mer " not nearly twice its length. Ashy gray. L. 3 to 5 feet. Warm seas, N. to Va. (Eu.') (Tiburo, an Italian name of some shark.) FAMILY VII. GALEORHINIDJE. (THE TYPICAL SHARKS.) Sharks with two dorsals and an anal fin ; no spines ; tail mod- erate, not lunate, bent upwards, the fin notched below near the tip ; basal lobe short ; no caudal keel ; last gill opening above base of pectoral ; eye with nictitating membrane ; head normally formed. Genera 15, species about 60, found in all seas. a. Teeth blunt, paved, without cusps or cutting edges; spiracles present; no pit at root of tail ; labial folds about mouth. . . . GALJEUS, 8. oa. Teeth more or less compressed, with sharp cutting edges. b. Spiracles present ; teeth large; serrated. c. Root of tail with a pit above ; caudal fin with two notches. GALEOCEEDO, 9. bb. Spiracles none; teeth sharp; a pit at root of tail. d. Teeth all serrate in the adult . CARCHARHINUS, 10. dd. Teeth all entire, all except the median ones oblique; their points turned away from the middle so that the inner margins are nearly horizontal, and form a cutting edge. . SCOLIODON, 11. 8. GALEU3 (Rafinesque) Leach. (Mustelus Cuvier.) (yoXeos, shark ; yaXfrj, weasel.) a. Embryo not attached to uterus by a placenta ; teeth very blunt. ( Galeus.) 11. G. canis (Mitchill). DOG SHARK. HOUND SHARK. BOCA DULCE. First dorsal higher than long, its middle midway between pectorals and ventrals; snout shortish. Pale gray. L. 3 feet. Smallest of our sharks. N. Atl. ; common N. (Eu.) 9. GALEOCBRDO Miiller & Henle. (yoXf 6st shark ; KepSci), fox). 12. G. maculatus (Ranzani). TIGER SHARK. Brown, with numerous large dark spots. L. 10 feet. Warm seas ; rarely N. to N. Y. (Lat., spotted.) ALOPIID.E. — VIII. 17 10. CARCHARHINUS Blainville. (Carcharias Cuvier.) (Kapxapos, rough ; pivrj, shark.) (The largest genus of sharks, represented in most warm seas. It is often divided into several genera, but intergradations make it difficult to maintain these divisions. In young specimens the serration of the teeth is not evident.) a. First dorsal far behind pectoral, nearer root of ventral than that of pec- toral. (Carcharhinus.) 13. C. glaucus (L.). GREAT BLUE SHARK. Snout very long; color grayish blue. A large shark, rare on our coast. (Eu.) (Lat., grayish blue.) aa. First dorsal not far behind pectoral. 6. Upper teeth oblique; deeply notched on outer margin. (Platypodon Gill.) 14. C. obscurus (Le Sueur). Pectorals large; second dorsal evidently smaller than anal ; first dorsal large ; head pointed. L. 10 feet. N. Atl. Frequently on our coast. bb. Upper teeth sub-erect, triangular, scarcely notched at outer margin. (Eulamia Gill.) 15. C. caudatus (Dekay). Snout moderate, its length from mouth forward not less than width of mouth ; pectoral fin not very long. Atlantic coast : a little known species of uncertain synon- ymy. (Lat., long-tailed.) 11. SCOLIODON Miiller & Henle. (o-KoAio'y, oblique ; 6Sa>v, tooth.) 16. S. terrae-novae (Richardson). SHARP-NOSED SHARK. Body slender ; snout depressed ; mouth with short labial grooves on both jaws; second dorsal smaller than anal; gray, tail dusky- edged. West Indies, N. to Cape Cod, common S. (erroneously ascribed to Newfoundland). (Lat. terra, land; nova, new. New- foundland.) FAMILY VIII. ALOPIID^J. (THE THRESHER SHARKS.) Body rather slender ; snout short ; teeth equal, flat, triangular, entire ; gill openings moderate, the last above P. ; no nictitating membrane ; spiracles obsolete ; first dorsal large, second dorsal and anal very small ; tail about as long as rest of body ; no caudal keel ; pectorals falcate, very large. One species, a large shark, found in most warm seas. 12. ALOPIA3 Rafinesque. (aXa>7n;|, a fox.) 17. A. vulpes (Gmelin). THRESHER. SWINGLE-TAIL. Fox SHARK. Color gray. L. about 20 feet. Open sea ; occasionally on our coast. (Eu.) 2 18 SELACHII: SQUALL — IV. FAMILY IX. CARCHARIIDJE. (THE SAND SHARKS.) Body elongate, the snout sharp ; mouth wide, the teeth large, long, narrow, entire, very sharp, most of the teeth with one or two small cusps at base; gill openings all in front of pectorals ; dorsals small, similar to the anal ; tail as in Galeorhinidce ; no nictitating membrane ; spiracles minute. One genus and 3 species ; rather small sharks, of the Atlantic. 13. CARCHARIAS Rafinesque. (Odontaspis Agassiz.) jagged.) a. First and fourth teeth of the upper jaw, and first tooth of the lower without basal cusps. ( Eugomphodus Gill.) 18. C. littoralis (Mitchill). SAND SHARK. Pectoral short. Color gray. L. 6 feet. Cape Cod to S. C., rather common N. A voracious little shark. (Lat., of the shore.) FAMILY X. LAMNID^J. (THE PORBEAGLES.) Body robust, contracted to a rather slender tail, which has a keel on each side ; caudal fin lunate, the lower lobe nearly as large as the upper, and not very different in form ; teeth large ; gill openings wide, all in front of pectorals ; first dorsal and pectorals large ; second dorsal and anal very small ; a pit at root of caudal \ spiracles obsolete. Large, voracious sharks of the warm seas. Genera 3, species about 6. a. Teeth slender, sharp, with entire edges; tail very slender. b. Teeth very slender, flexuous, without basal cusps . . . ISURUS, 14. lib. Teeth broader, most of them with a small cusp on each side at base. LAMNA, 15. aa. Teeth broad, compressed, triangular, distinctly serrate; tail rather stout. CARCHARODON, 16. 14. ISURUS Rafinesque. (JW, equal ; ovpd, tail.) a. First dorsal entirely behind pectorals, nearly midway between base of P. and V. (Isuropsis, Gill.) 19. I. dekayi (Gill). MACKEREL SHARK. Color bluish. L. 15 feet. W. L, rarely N. (For James E. Dekay, author of the Fauna of New York.) 15. LAMNA Cuvier. (\dpva, a kind of shark.) 20. L. cornubica (Gmelin). PORBEAGLE. MACKEREL SHARK. First dorsal close behind pectorals ; snout conical, sharp ; back elevated ; third tooth on each side in upper jaw small. L. 8 feet. Warm seas, frequently N. to Cape Cod. (En.) (Lat., pertaining to Cornwall.) SQUATINID^l. — XII. 19 16. CARCHARODON Andrew Smith. (xapxapos, jagged ; 6ba>v, tooth.) 21. C. carcharias (L.). MAN-EATER SHARK. GREAT WHITE SHARK. First dorsal somewhat behind pectorals. Color leaden- gray, P. edged with black. L. 25 feet. Most voracious of all sharks, and next in size to Cetorhinus, weighing nearly a ton. Warm seas, occasional off our coasts. Linnaeus says, " Jonam prophetam ut vete- res Herculem, in hujus trinoctem ventriculo tridui spateo, baesisse verosimile est." The fossil teeth of a far larger extinct species, Carcharodon megalodon, are often found in tertiary beds along our South Atlantic coast. (Eu.) (xap^apia?, old name of large sharks.) FAMILY XI. CBTORHINID^E. (THE BASKING SHARKS.) Largest of all fishes ; immense sharks with the gill openings ex- tremely wide, nearly meeting above and below ; mouth moderate ; teeth very small, numerous, conical, simple ; no nictitating mem- brane ; spiracles very small ; first dorsal and pectorals large ; sec- ond and anal small ; caudal lunate, the upper lobe the larger ; tail keeled on the side. One species, a huge, sluggish creature, found in Northern seas. 17. CETORHINUS Blainville. (KT?TO?, whale ; pivrj, a shark.) 22. C. maximus (Gunner). BASKING SHARK. Head small, snout blunt. Gray. L. 35 feet ; depth nearly 6 feet. Open sea, S. to Va. (Eu.) FAMILY XII. SQUATINID^J. (THE ANGEL-FISHES.) Ray-like sharks, with the body depressed, the pectoral fins very large, expanded in the plane of the body, the anterior margin bear- ing some resemblance to the bend of the wing in birds ; ventrals very large ; dorsal fins two, small, subequal, behind ventrals ; cau- dal small ; no anal ; gill openings wide, subinferior, partly hidden by base of pectoral ; spiracles wide, crescent-shaped, behind eyes ; mouth and nostrils anterior ; teeth small, conical, pointed, distant. A single species, in most seas. The singularly formed pectoral fins give an absurd resemblance to the conventional pictures of angels. 18. SQUATINA Dume'ril. (Rkina Giinther.) (Latin name, from squatus, skate.) 23. S. squatina (L.). ANGEL-FISH. MONK-FISH. Skin rough, with small, stiff prickles; ashy gray above, usually much mottled. L. 3 or 4 feet. Warm seas, rarely N. (Eu.) ORDER V. RAIJE. (THE RAYS.) The Rays, as a whole, differ from the sharks in having the gill openings underneath the flat disk formed by the body and the 20 SELACHII: RALE.— V. expanded pectoral fins. The tail is comparatively slender, and its fins are small. Spiracles present. The Rajidce produce large eggs, enclosed in leathery cases; most of the other Raice, are ovovi- viparous, bringing forth their young alive. Families of Baiae. a. Tail comparatively thick, with two dorsal fins ; no serrated caudal spine nor cephalic fins. b. Snout much produced, flat, armed with strong teeth on each side, set at right angles to its axis ; body somewhat shark-like, the disk grad- ually passing into the tail PRISTIDID.E, 13. bb. Snout not saw-like; disk ending abruptly at base of tail. c. Electric organs wanting; skin not perfectly smooth. . RAJIDCE, 14. cc. Electric organs present; a structure of honeycomb-like tubes between pectoral fins and head; skin perfectly smooth. . TOKPEDINID^E, 14. aa. Tail slender, with but one dorsal fin or none, and usually armed with a serrated spine. d. Pectoral fins uninterrupted, confluent about the snout; teeth small. DASYATID.E, 15. dd. Pectoral fins divided, leaving detached appendages ("cephalic fins ") on the snout. e. Teeth very large, flat, tessellated AETOBATTIXE, 16. ee. Teeth very small, flat or tubercular ; size enormous, largest of the rays. MANTID^J, 17. FAMILY XIII. PRISTIDID^E. (THE SAW-FISHES.) Rays with elongate body, stout, thick tail, and a long saw-like snout, below which is the inferior mouth with small blunt teeth. Dorsals and caudal well developed. One genus, with 5 or 6 species, in warm seas. 19. PRISTIS Latham. (irpio-Trjs, one who saws ; the ancient name.) 24. P. pectinatus Latham. SAW-FISH. Saw with 25 to 28 pairs of spines. L. 10 feet. West Indies; occasional N. (Lat., comb-toothed.) FAMILY XIV. RAJID^B. (THE SKATES.) Rays with the disk broad, rhombic, more or less rough; the males usually with about two rows of strong spines on each pec- toral ; tail rather stout, with a fold of skin on each side, and two dorsal fins above ; caudal fin small or obsolete ; no serrated spine ; no electric organs. Egg in a large leathery case, four-angled, and having two tubular horns at each end. Genera 4, species 40, mostly of the Northern seas. o. Caudal fin rudimentary ; pectorals not confluent, leaving a translucent area at the snout ; ventrals deeply notched RAJA, 20. TORPEDLNID.E. — XV. 21 20. RAJA (Artedi) Linnaeus. (Raid or Raja, the Latin name.) a. Middle line of back and tail behind shoulders, unarmed in adult, with a row of spines in young; outline of disk before spiracles obtuse, without acute angle at tip of snout. b. Rows of teeth about JJ. 25. R. erinacea Mitchill. COMMON SKATE. TOBACCO-BOX. Spines largest on front of pectorals ; smaller ones on head, back, and shoulder girdle. Light brown, with round dark spots. L. 1£ feet. Smallest and commonest of our skates, from Va. northward. (Lat., hedge-hog.) bb. Rows of teeth about |o.. 26. R. ocellata Mitchill. BIG SKATE. Similar to preceding, but much larger, and with additional rows of spines along the back and on sides of tail. Light brown, with dark spots ; usually a large white ocellus with a dark centre on P. behind. L. 3 feet. Mass. N. aa. Middle line of back and tail with a row of spines at all ages; outline of disk before spiracles forming a more or less marked angle at tip of snout. c. Angle at tip of snout short, obtuse; teeth |£; body and tail with strong spines with broad stellate bases. 27. R. radiata Donovan. A median dorsal row of large spines or bucklers ; others about head. L. l£ to 2 feet. N. Atl. ; rather rare, S. to Cape Cod. (Ew.) cc. Angle at tip of snout acute, moderate!}' long; teeth |.o.; no coarse spines or bucklers. 28. R. eglanteria Lacepede. Prickles small and sharp ; a large spine on each shoulder. Brown, with darker bars and blotches. L. 2 feet. Cape C6d southward ; not common. {Eglantine, brier- rose.) ccc. Angle at tip of snout much produced, blunt; teeth JJ1. 29. R. laevis Mitchill. BARN-DOOR SKATE. Spines of body very few and small, on head and back ; a row of larger ones on median line of tail ; female rougher, as is usual among rays ; snout very long, somewhat spatulate. Color brownish, with paler spots mostly ringed with darker. L. 4 feet. Va. N. ; not rare. (Lat. smooth.) FAMILY XV. TORPBDINIDJE. (THE ELECTRIC RAYS.) Trunk broad and smooth, the tail short and thick, with rayed caudal and usually two rayed dorsals, the first over or behind ven- trals ; a large electric organ made up of hexagonal tubes, between head and pectorals. Genera 6, species 15, found in most warm seas ; noted for their power of giving electric shocks. a. Dorsal fins two ; ventrals separate; spiracle placed nearly an eye's diameter behind eye ToKPJtDO, 21. 22 SELACHII: RALE. — V. 21. TORPEDO Dumeril. 30. T. occidentalis Storer. TORPEDO. CRAMP-FISH. NUMB- FISH. Black, with obscure darker blotches ; spiracles with entire edges. L. 3 to 5 feet. Cape Cod S. ; not common. FAMILY XVI. DASYATID-33. (THE STING-HAYS.) Disk broad, the pectorals confluent anteriorly, forming tip of snout ; tail, usually whip-like, sometimes short and stout, with or without fins, but never with two dorsals. Tail usually armed with a sharp, retrorsely serrate spine above, near the base (this often duplicated and sometimes wanting) : ventral fins entire. Skin smooth or variously rough, the adult roughest. Mouth small, with small teeth. Sexes similar. Genera 10, species 50, in most warm seas. The large spine or " sting " on the tail in most species may inflict a dangerous wound. a. Tail slender, whip-like, without caudal fin, longer than the disk; "sting " on tail strong DASYATIS, 22. aa. Tail very slender and short, shorter than the very broad disk : sting minute or wanting PTEROPLATEA, 23. 22. DASYATIS Rafinesque. (Trygon Adanson.) (dacrvy, shaggy or rough ; /San'y, skate.) a. Tail with a fold on its lower margin only, the upper edge rounded. 31. D. centrums (Mitchill). COMMON STING-RAY. CLAM- CRACKER. STINGAREE. Snout not prominent ; disk a little wider than long; tail usually not quite twice length of disk. Adult with some stellate tubercles on back and tail. Color olive-brown. L. 12 feet. Cape Cod S,, common, (ncvrpov, spine; ovpa, tail.) aa. Tail with a fold of skin on its upper as well as lower margin. 32. D. say (Le Sueur). SOUTHERN STING-RAY. WHIP- PAREE. Snout not prominent ; disk a little wider than long ; tail nearly twice length of disk. Body and tail without large spines. N. Y., S. (To Thomas Say, a distinguished zoologist.) 23. PTEROPLATEA, Miiller & Henle. 33. P. maclura (Le Sueur). BUTTERFLY RAY. Disk nearly twice as broad as long, three times as long as tail ; sting on tail usually obsolete. Olive-brown, finely marbled and speckled ; tail with four dark blotches : front edge of disk with pale half-circular spots. Va. S. (To William Maclure.) FAMILY XVII. AETOBATID^J. (THE EAGLE RAYS.) Pectoral fins interrupted, reappearing on tip of snout as one or two detached appendages or cephalic fins ; skull somewhat elevated, so that eyes and spiracles are lateral ; teeth large, flat, hexangular, MANTIM. — XVIII. 23 the middle series largest. Otherwise essentially as in Dasyatidce. Genera 3, species 20, in the warm seas. a. Snout entire. b. Teeth very broad, in one series. STOASODON, 24. bb. Teeth in several series AETOBATIS, 25. aa. Snout emarginate ; teeth in several series RHINOPTERA, 26. 24. STOASODON Cantor. (Aetobatis Miiller & Henle.) (oTod, arcade ; o&Ws, tooth.) 34. S. narinari (Euphrasen). BISHOP KAY. Disk twice as broad as long. Tail very long, three or four times disk. Brown with many round yellowish spots. Warm seas, N. to Va. (Nari- nari, the Brazilian name.) 25. AETOBATIS Blainville (1816). (Myliobatis Dumeril, 1817.) (cUro's, eagle ; /Stray, ray.) 35. A. freminvillii (Le Sueur). EAGLE RAY. Skin smooth ; color reddish brown. Cape Cod S. Scarce. (For Christian Pau- lin de Freminville, author of some papers on Plectognaths.) 26. RHINOPTERA Kuhl. 36. R. bonasus (Mitchill). COW-NOSED RAY. Cephalic fin emarginate, and placed below level of pectorals, so that the snout appears four-lobed when viewed from the front. Skin nearly smooth. Cape Cod S. " He enters the bay and ranges very exten- sively the flats where the soft clam lives. These shell-fish he is supposed to devour, for a shoal of cow-noses root up the salt- water flats as completely as a drove of hogs would do." (Mitchill.) (R. quadriloba Le Sueur.) (Lat., a buffalo.) FAMILY XVIII. MANTID^E. (THE SEA DEVILS.) Rays of immense size, similar to the Aetobatidce, but with the cephalic fins forming long ear-like appendages, and with the teeth very small. Skin rough. Genera 2, species 7 ; among the largest of all fishes, found in warm seas, a. Teeth in lower jaw only ; mouth terminal MANTA, 27. 27. MANTA Bancroft. (Manta, blanket, " a name used at the pearl fisheries of Panama, for an enormous fish much dreaded by the divers, whom it is said to devour, after enveloping them in its vast wings.") 37. M. birostris (Walbaum). SEA DEVIL. MANTA. Disk not quite twice as broad as long; tail as long as disk. Brown; disk 12 feet long; its breadth about 20. Tropical seas, N". to Delaware Bay. (Lat*. bis, two ; rostrum, snout.) 24 HOLOCEPHALL SUBCLASS HOLOCEPHALL This group, defined on page 13, is equivalent to the ORDER VI. HOLOCEPHALL Skeleton cartilaginous ; gill cavity with four clefts within, but externally with a single opening, which is covered by a fold of skin within which is a rudimentary opercle. No spiracles. Jaws with- out separate teeth, but armed with bony plates. Notochord persist- ent, the vertebrae consisting of rings around a notochordal sheath. No air-bladder ; intestine with a spiral valve ; skin smooth, with a highly developed mucous system. Dorsal fin with a strong spine. One family. (6Xoy, solid ; Ke0aA^, head.) FAMILY XIX. CHIM^JRID^E. Forehead of males with a movable cartilaginous hook, turned forward and armed with prickles at tip. Oviparous, the egg- cases elliptical, with silky filaments. Two genera, 5 or 6 species, in cold waters. Fishes of most singular appearance, unlike any- thing else. a. Snout soft, not ending in a cutaneous flap ; tail not bent upward. CHIMERA, 28. 28. CHIMERA Linnaeus. (X/fuupa, Chimcera, a fabulous monster, with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent.) 38. C. affinis Capello. Color plumbeous. Cold or deep water, S. to Cape Cod. (Eu.) (Lat., related,— -to C. monstrosa.) TELEOSTOMI. 25 SUBCLASS TELEOSTOMI. (THE TRUE FISHES.) Skeleton usually bony, sometimes cartilaginous. Skull with sutures ; membrane bones (opercle, preopercle, etc.) present ; gill openings a single slit on each side ; gills with their outer edges free, their bases attached to bony arches, normally four pairs of these, the fifth pair being modified into tooth-bearing pharyngeals ; median and paired fins developed, the latter with distinct rays. Ova small ; no claspers. Heart developed, divided into an auricle, ventricle, and arterial bulb. Lungs imperfectly developed, or modi- fied to form a swim-bladder, or entirely absent. We here include under one head the Ganoids and the Teleosts. The former type is chiefly composed of extinct forms. While many of its representatives are extremely dissimilar to the bony fishes, there is a gradual series of transitions, and between the Halecomorphi of the Ganoids and the Isospondyli of the true Teleosts, the resemblance is much greater than that between the Halecomorphi and many other Ganoids The Ganoids are, in fact, the most generalized of the true fishes, those nearest the stock from which the Teleosts on the one hand, and the Dipnoi and Batracliia on the other, have sprung. The real value or rank of some of the current orders or suborders is still doubtful. (reXeo?, perfect ; trrofMct, mouth.) Omitting orders not represented in our waters, we have the following analysis of Orders of True Fishes. a. Arterial bulb muscular, with numerous valves; optic nerves forming a solid chiasma; ventrals abdominal; air-bladder with a duct; tail strongly heterocercal throughout life; some fins usually with fulcra. (Series GANOIDEI.) b. Skeleton cartilaginous; ventrals with an entire series of basilar seg- ments. (Chondrostei.) c. Maxillary and interopercle obsolete; skin naked; air-bladder cellular. SELACHOSTOMI, VII. cc. Maxillary and interopercle present; skin with bony shields; air- bladder simple GLANIOSTOMI, VIII. bb. Skeleton bony; ventrals with basilar segments rudimentary; air-bladder cellular. (HolosteL) d. Vertebrae opisthocoelian (concavo-convex) ; maxillary transversely divided in several pieces; scales rhombic, enamelled plates. GlNGLYMODI, IX. 26 TELEOSTOML dd. Vertebrae arnphiccelian (double concave); maxillary not transversely divided; scales cycloid HALECOMORPHI, X. aa. Arterial bulb thin, with a pair of opposite valves; optic nerves crossing, not forming a solid chiasma. (Series TELEOSTEI.) e. Air-bladder (if present) connected by an air-duct with the intestinal canal, this persistent throughout life ; ventral fins (if present) abdomi- nal, without spines, their basilar segments rudimental. (Soft-rayed fishes.) (Physostomi.) f. Shoulder girdle attached to the skull by means of a post-temporal bone (suprascapula) ; form not eel-like. g. Praecoracoid arch, present. h. Maxillary bone imperfect, forming the base of a long barbel ; no subopercle nor symplectic bone ; four anterior vertebrae much modified, co-ossified, and with an ossicula auditus ; supraoccipitals and parietals co-ossified; no scales. . . NEMATOGNATHI, XI. hh. Maxillary bone perfect, not entering into a barbel (rarely entirely wanting); subopercle and symplectic bone present. «. Anterior vertebrae modified, co-ossified, and with the ossicula auditus EVENTOGNATHI, XII. ii. Anterior vertebrae similar to the others, separate, and without ossicula auditus ISOSPONDYLI, XIII. gg. Praecoracoid arch obsolete; anterior vertebrae not modified; parie- tal bones separated by supraoccipital ; head scaly. HAPLOMI, XIV. ff. Shoulder girdle not attached to the skull; no praecoracoid arch; parietal bones in contact; maxillary wanting or united with the palatines; form eel-like APODES, XV. ee. Air-bladder without duct (in the adult) ; ventral fins without basal seg- ments, usually anterior in position ; spines usually present in the fins ; pectoral tins not on the plane of the abdomen ; parietal bones usu- ally separated by the supraoccipital. (Spiny-rayed fishes chiefly.) (Physoclysti.) j. Shoulder girdle connected to the skull by a post-temporal. k. Lower pharjmgeals co-ossified ; no spines ; ventrals abdominal ; lateral line on side of abdomen SYNENTOGNATHI, XVI. kk. Lower pharyngeals separate (or united, and the dorsal fin with spines.) I. Gills tufted; pharyngeal bones and most of the branchihyals want- ing; skin with bony plates LOPHOBRANCHII, XVII. U. Gills pectinate (as usual in fishes). m. Superior branchihyals and pharyngeals reduced in number ; ventrals sub-abdominal HEMIBRANCHII, XVIII. mm. Superior branchihyals and pharyngeals in normal development. n. Ventral fins abdominal PERCESOCES, XIX. nn. Ventral fins thoracic or jugular. o. Pectoral fins not pediculate, the gill openings in front of them p. Bones of the jaws distinct. q. Cranium normal ACANTHOPTERI, XX. qq. Cranium twisted, so that both eyes are on the same side of head; no fin spines. . . HETEROSOMATA, XXI. ARTIFICIAL KEY. 27 pp. Bones of jaws co-ossified, the maxillary with the pre- maxillary, the dentary with the articular. PLECTOGNATHI, XXII. oo. Pectoral fins pediculate, the basal bones reduced in number' and elongate, the gills in their axils. PEDICULATI, XXIII. More than two hundred families are now recognized among the true fishes. The characters on which family divisions are based are usually internal, and often difficult for the beginner to ascer- tain. The boundaries and definitions of many families are also still uncertain. Instead, therefore, of giving a natural analysis under each order of the families included within it, I have thought it best to give instead an Artificial Key by which the student can recognize any of the families of True Fishes included in this work. For analytical keys showing, in some degree, the natural charac- ters, the student is referred to Jordan and Gilbert's Synopsis of the Fishes of North America. A repetition of these analytical tables would consume considerable space, and would not be of much aid to any but advanced students. Artificial Key to the Families of Tme Fishes included in the Present Work. SERIES I. VENTRAL FINS PRESENT, ABDOMINAL. A. Dorsal fins two, the anterior rayed, the posterior adipose. B. Body naked ; head with 4 to 8 barbels ; dorsal and pectoral each with a strong spine SILURIDJS, 24. BB. Body scaly ; no barbels ; no spines. C. Maxillary wanting, or grown fast to premaxillary ; head scaly. SYHODONTID^E, 32. C C. Maxillaries distinct; head naked. D. Scales ctenoid; margin of upper jaw formed by premaxillaries alone PERCOPSID^E, 35. DD, Scales cycloid; margin of upper jaw formed in part by maxil- laries. E. Stomach a blind sac, with few pyloric caeca. (Smelt, etc.) ARGENTINID.E, 33. EE. Stomach siphonal, with many pyloric caeca. SALMONIU.E, 34. A A. Dorsal fin single, with free spines before it; body naked, or with bony plates ; ventral rays, I, 1, GASTEROSTEID.E, 45. AAA. Dorsal fins two, the anterior of simple rays or spines, the posterior chiefly of soft rays; ventrals, I, 5. F. Teeth very strong, unequal ; a lateral line present. SPHYR^ENUXE, 48. FF. Teeth small, subequal; no lateral line. G. Dorsal spines slender, 4 to 8; anal spine 1. . . ATHEKINID^E, 47. GG. Dorsal spines stout, 4; anal spines, 2 or 3. . . . MUGILID^E, 46. AAAA. Dorsal fin single, of soft rays only (sometimes preceded by fulcra or followed by finlets). E. Tail evidently heterocercal. (Ganoid fishes.) /. Caudal forked, the lower lobe well developed. 28 TELEOSTOMI. /. Body naked; snout spatulate; mouth wide, without barbels; caudal with fulcra POLYODONTID^E, 20. JJ. Body with 5 series of bony shields; head with bony shields; mouth inferior, toothless, preceded by 4 barbels ; fins with fulcra. ACIPENSEKID^E, 21. II. Caudal rounded or lanceolate ; head with a bony casque. X. Scales ganoid (rhombic, enamelled plates) ; no gular plate ; fins with fulcra; dorsal fin short LEPISOSTEID^E, 22. XX. Scales cycloid ; a bony gular plate ; no fulcra ; dorsal long. AMIID^, 23. EH. Tail not evidently heterocercal (except in the very young). Y. Scales cycloid. K. Side of belly with a conspicuous ridge or lateral line ; pectoral fins inserted high, on or above the axis of the body ; lower lobe of caudal longest; lower pharyngeals united. . EXOCCETID^E, 42. KK. Edge of belly without conspicuous ridge or lateral line ; pectoral fins inserted usually below axis of body; lower pharyngeals separate. M. Vent before ventrals ; eyes rudimentary. . AMBLYOPSID^E, 36. MM. Vent behind ventrals ; eyes normal. N. Head more or less seal}7. 0. Upper jaw not protractile, its margin formed by maxillaries posteriorly. P. Teeth cardiform, unequal ESOCID^E, 89. PP. Teeth villiform, equal UMBRID^E. 38. 00. Upper jaw very protractile, its edge formed by premaxil- laries alone CYPRINODONTID^E, 37. NN. Head without scales. Q. Gill membranes united with the isthmus ; lower pharyngeals falciform ; mouth toothless ; anterior vertebras coalesced. R. Pharyiigeal teeth larger, in one or more rows, the main row with less than 8 teeth; dorsal (in native species) with less than 10 rays CYPRINHWK, 20. RR. Pharyngeal teeth very numerous, in one row; dorsal rays ten or more CATOSTOMID^E, 25. QQ. Gill membranes free from the isthmus; lower pharyngeals flattish ; anterior vertebrae not modified. S. Lateral line present. T. Lower jaw with a gular plate ; fins with scaly sheaths. ELOPID^E, 29. TT. Lower jaw without gular plate. U. Tongue with canine teeth; mouth terminal, oblique. HIODOJJTHXE, 27. UU. Tongue with blunt teeth; mouth inferior, horizontal. ALBULHXE, 28. S3. Lateral line wanting. V. Mouth very wide, the maxillary reaching much beyond eye; snout short STOLEPHORID^E, 31. VV. Mouth moderate, the maxillary scarcely extending beyond eye CLUPEID.E, 30. YY. Scales none; caudal with a long filament; snout long, tubular, with the small mouth at the end FISTULARIID^E; 44. ARTIFICIAL KEY. 29 SERIES II. VENTRAL FINS PRESENT, THORACIC OR JUGULAR. At Eyes unsymmetrical, both on same side of head. . PLEURONECTID.^, 89. A A. Eyes symmetrical. B. Gill openings in front of pectorals. C. Body more or less scaly, or armed with bony plates. D. Ventral fins united into one; no lateral Hue; gill membranes joined to isthmus GOBIID.E, 82. DD. Ventral fins separate. E. Top of head with a large sucking-disk, modified from the spinous dorsal ECHENEIDID.E, 50. EE. Top of head without sucking-disk. F. Ventral rays, I, 5. G. Suborbital with a bony stay which extends across the cheeks to or towards the preopercle ; cheeks sometimes entirely bony. E. Pectoral fin with 2 or 3 lower rays detached and separate. TRIGLID^E, 76. EH. Pectoral fin entire; slit behind fourth gill small, or wanting. /. Dorsal spines, 9 to 17 ; anal spines three ; eyes lateral. SCORP.ENID^E, 72. II. Dorsal spines, four; eyes superior. URAXOSCOPID^E, 81. GG. Suborbital stay wanting ; cheeks not mailed. K. Dorsal spines all or nearly all unconnected by membrane. L. Body elongate, subterete ELACATID^E, 51. LL. Body oblong or ovate, compressed. M. Caudal peduncle very slender, the fin widely forked. CARANGIDJE, 56. MM. Caudal peduncle stout, the fin little forked. STROMATEID^C, 58. KK. Dorsal spines, if present, mostly connected by membrane. N. Dorsal and anal each with 4 or more finlets ; scales minute. SCOMBRID^E, 55. NN. Dorsal and anal without finlets, or with but one each. 0. Throat with two long barbels .... MULLID^E, 67. 00. Throat without barbels. P. Anal preceded by two free spines (these often obsolete with age). Q>. Scales very small, cycloid. . . CARANGID^E, 56. QQ. Scales moderate, ctenoid. . . POMATOMID.E, 57. PP. Anal without free spines. R. Tail with a fleshy keel on each side. CARANGID^E, 56. RR. Tail not keeled. S. Dorsal fin very long, without distinct spines; caudal deeply forked. . CORYPHJINID^E, 59. 88. Dorsal fin with distinct spines; gill membranes free from isthmus. T. Vomer with teeth. U. Anal spines none ; eyes on top of head. URANOSCOPID^E, 81. UU. Anal spines, one or two. 30 TELEOSTOMI. F. Anal rays more than 20 POMATOMID.E, 57. VV. Anal rays less than 20 PERCID,E, 63. UUU. Anal spines three. W. Pseudobranchiae small, fleshy, covered by skin. CENTRARCHID^E, 62. W W. Pseudobranchiae large, exposed. X. Maxillary slipping under preorbital for its whole length. SPARIDJS, 66. XX. Maxillary not slipping under preorbital for its whole length. SERRANID.E, 64. UUUU. Anal spines, 4 to 10 CEXTRARCHHXE, 62. TT. Vomer without teeth. Y. Teeth setiform (tooth-brush like) ; soft parts of vertical fins densely scaly; body elevated ; dorsal deeply notched. EPHIPPID^E, 71. TT. Teeth not setiform. Z. Lateral line obsolete ; dorsal spines about 4. ELASSOMATID^E, 61. ZZ. Lateral line present. a. Anal spines 1 or 2 ; a large slit behind fourth gill. b. Lateral line extending on caudal fin ; snout scaly. . . SCI^ENHXE, 68. bb. Lateral line not extending on caudal fin ; snout scaleless. PERCID.E, 63. aa. Anal spines 3. c. Slit behind fourth gill none; lower pharyngeals completely united; jaws with canines in front LABRID.E, 70. cc. Slit behind fourth gill large. d. Anal with more than 15 soft rays; preopercle serrate. STROMATEID.E, 58. dd. Anal with less than 15 soft rays. e. Maxillary slipping beneath the broad preorbital for its whole length; dorsal spines more than 10. .... SPARIDJE, 66. ee. Maxillary not slipping beneath the narrow preorbital. y Dorsal spines 12; premaxillaries moderately protractile; pseu- dobranchiae large LOBOTID^E, 65. yy Dorsal spines 9 or 10; premaxillaries extremely protractile; pseudobranchiae concealed GERRID^E, 69. FF. Ventral fins with or without spine ; the number of rays not I, 5. x. Upper jaw prolonged in a sword ISTIOPHORID^E, 53. xx. Upper jaw not sword-like. f. Dorsal fin low, of spines only. . BLENNIID^E, 83. ff. Dorsal fin of spines anteriorly, of soft rays posteriorly. g. Ventral rays»7 ; vent anterior ; dorsal spines 3 or 4. A PH REDO DERIDES, 60. gg. Ventral rays 1, 1 ; dorsal spines free ; vent normal ; body mailed. GASTEROSTEID^E, 45. ggg. Ventral rays 1,4; body scaly; pectoral fin divided to base in two unequal parts CEPHALACANTHIDJE, 75. fff. Dorsal of soft rays anteriorly, with low spines posteriorly. LYCODID^E, 86. ffff. Dorsal fin of soft rays only. ARTIFICIAL KEY. 31 ft. Dorsal fin very short; body mailed AGONHWB, 74. hh. Dorsal fin very long; body with small scales. t. Dorsal and anal joined to the caudal. j. Gill membranes free from the isthmus; ventrals very slender, barbel-like OPHIDIID^E, 87. jj. Gill membranes united to the isthmus. . . LYOODIDJS, 86. ii. Dorsal and anal free from caudal; tail isocercal. GADIDJB, 88. CC. Body scaleless, smooth or more or less prickly or warty. k. Breast with a sucking-disk. I. Gill membranes free from isthmus ; no spinous dorsal. GOBIESOCID^E, 80. II. Gill membranes attached to the isthmus. m. Skin smooth LIPARIDID^E, 77. mm. Skin warty CYCLOPTERID^E, 78. kk. Breast without sucking-disk. n. Ventrals completely united GOBIID^, 82. nn. Ventrals separate. o. Ventral rays I, 5. p. Dorsal and anal with finlets. . . . SCOMBRIDJE, 55. pp. Dorsal and anal without finlets ; two free anal spines. CARANGID^E, 56. oo. Ventral rays less than I, 5. q. Upper jaw prolonged into a sword. ISTIOPHORUMB, 53. qq. Upper jaw not prolonged into a sword. r. Suborbital with a bony stay. . . . COTTIDJE, 73. rr. Suborbital without bony stay. s. Dorsal spines two or three ; teeth strong. BATRACHID^, 79. ss. Dorsal spines 4 to 6 ; teeth small. GASTEROSTEIDJS, 45. sss. Dorsal spines numerous ; teeth comb-like. BLENNIID^E, 83. BB. Gill openings small, behind the pectoral fins, which are pediculate. t. Gill openings in or behind lower axil of pectorals ; mouth large, terminal. «. Pseudobranchiae present; head broad, depressed; mouth very large, with large unequal teeth LOPHIID^E, 96. uu. Pseudobranchise none ; head compressed ; teeth small. ANTENNARIID^, 95. it. Gill openings in or behind upper axil of pectorals; mouth small, below a projecting snout MALTHID^E, 94. SERIES III. VENTRAL FINS ENTIRELY WANTING. A. Gill membranes joined to the isthmus, so that the gill openings of the two sides are not connected. B. Dorsal fin single, of spines only (these sometimes slender, like soft rays). C. Molar teeth present ANARRHICHADIDJE, 85. CC. Molar teeth none. D. Mouth vertical ; body naked. . . . CRYPT ACANTHODID.E, 84. DD. Mouth not vertical ; body scaly BLENNIID^, 83. 32 PISCES. — GANOIDEI. BB. Dorsal fins two, the anterior spinous; teeth incisor-like. BALISTID^. 90. BBB. Dorsal fin single, of soft rays only. E. Snout tubular, bearing the short toothless jaws at the end ; body mailed SYNGNATHID;E, 43. EE. Snout not tubular. F. Body elongate, eel-shaped; maxillaries and premaxillaries coales- cent with vomer and palatines. G. Lower jaw projecting ; skin covered with linear imbedded scales arranged at right angles with each other. ANGUILLIDJS. 40. GG. Lower jaw not projecting; skin scaleless. . . ECHELID^E, 43. FF. Body not eel-shaped. H. Breast with a sucking-disk. 1. Skin smooth LIPAKIDID.E, 77. //. Skin warty CYCLOPTERID^E, 78. HH. Breast without sucking disk. J. Teeth in each jaw confluent into one. K. Body compressed, the skin rough MOLID.E, 93. KK. Bodj^ not compressed, armed with spines. DIODONTID^:, 92. JJ. Teeth in each jaw confluent into two. TETRAODONTIB^E, 91. AA. Gill membranes free from the isthmus. L. Vent at the throat; vertical fins separate. . . AMBLYOPSHXE, 36. LL. Vent normal. M. Caudal fin wanting; body naked TRICHIURID.E, 54. MM. Caudal fin present N. Upper jaw produced in a sword XIPHIHXE, 52. NN. Upper jaw without sword. 0. Body ovate, much compressed STROMATEID^E, 58. 00. Body oblong or elongate; gill membranes not united. P. Jaws toothless, the lower projecting . AMMODYTHME, 49. PP. Jaws with teeth, the lower not projecting. OPHIDIID^E, 87. SERIES GANOIDEI. (THE GANOID FISHES.) The name Ganoidei was first used by Agassiz for those fishes which are armed with bony plates, instead of regular cycloid or ctenoid scales. Later, Johannes Miiller, one of the greatest of systematic zoologists, restricted the group to those fishes which show more or less distinct reptilian or batrachian affinities, and especially affinities with the mailed fishes of the Devonian and Carboniferous ages. The group is a heterogeneous one, and one practically scarcely susceptible of definition. Some of the Ganoids are closely allied to the Teleosts ; some approach the Dipnoi, and some again resemble the Holocephali. The existence of the solid optic chiasma, the presence of several valves in the arterial bulb, and of a more or less developed spiral valve in the rectum, distin- POLYODONTIM. — XX. 33 guisli the living Ganoids from all Teleosts, but none of these char- acters can be verified in the extinct forms. It seems to us better not to regard the Ganoids as a separate class or subclass, but to unite them with the Teleosts. (yavos, splendor, from the enam- elled scales.) ORDER VII. SELACHOSTOMI. This order contains but one family. (oreXa^off, shark or other cartilaginous fish; ord/na, mouth.) FAMILY XX. POLYODONTID^EJ. (THE PADDLE- FISHES.) Body fusiform, the skin mostly smooth ; snout prolonged in a flat, spatulate blade, which overhangs the broad, terminal mouth ; the "spatula " with a reticulated framework ; teeth very numerous, minute, disappearing with age ; opercle rudimentary, its skin pro- duced in a long flap ; gills 4£ ; no pseudobranchias ; gill rakers very long, in two rows, separated by membrane; gill membranes con- nected, free from isthmus; one branchiostegal ; spiracles present. C. fin with fulcra ; D. posterior ; tail heterocercal, the lower lobe nearly as long as the upper; sides of tail with rhombic plates; air-bladder large, cellular ; stomach caacal, the pyloric casca form- ing a branching, leaf-like organ. Singular fishes, feeding on mud and minute organisms which they stir up on the bottom with the long oar-like snout. Two species, Psephurus gladius of rivers of China, and the following. a. Gill rakers very fine and numerous; caudal fulcra many, small. POLYODON, 29. 29. POLYODON (Lacepede) Bloch & Schneider. (TroXus, many ; 68&v, tooth.) 39. P. spathula (Walbaum). PADDLE-FISH. SPOON-BILL. DUCK-BILLED CAT. Olivaceous ; opercular flap in adult reaching V. ; head with flap and spatula more than half length. D. 55, A. 57, V. 45. L. 6 feet. Miss, valley; common in larger streams. (P. folium Lac.) (Lat. spatula.) ORDER VIII. GLANIOSTOMI. This order contains only the family of Sturgeons. (yAai/iy, cat- fish ; oro/za, mouth.) FAMILY XXI. ACIPENSERID^l. (THE STURGEONS.) Body elongate, fusiform, with five rows of bony keeled shields, the skin between these rows with small or minute plates; snout produced ; mouth inferior, protractile, toothless ; four barbels in a cross-row before mouth ; gills 4 ; an accessory opercular gill ; no 3 34 PISCES : — GLANIOSTOMI. — VIII. branchiostegals ; head covered by bony plates joined by sutures; gill membranes joined to isthmus ; vertical fins with fulcra ; dorsal and anal posterior; tail heterocercal ; air-bladder large, simple; stomach not ceecal, with pyloric appendages; rectum with spiral valve. Seas and rivers of northern regions ; feeding on small animals and plants sucked in through the tube-like mouth. Genera 2, species about 20. The sturgeons change considerably with age. The snout be- comes shorter and blunter, the shields smoother, and some of the shields often fall off or are absorbed in old age. a. Spiracles obsolete; snout broad, shovel-shaped, depressed above; rows of bony shields coalescent behind the dorsal, so that tlje depressed tail is completely mailed; gill rakers small, fan-shaped, ending in 3 or 4 points. SCAPHIRHYXCHUS, 30. aa. Spiracles present; snout sub-conic; rows of bony shields nowhere con- fluent, the tail not depressed nor mailed; gill rakers lanceolate. ACIPEXSER, 31. 30. SCAPHIRHYNCHUS Heckel. (ScapUrJiyncJwps Gill.) (o-i«i(£>r), spade ; puy^oy, snout.) 40. S. platyrhynchus (Rafinesque). SHOVEL-NOSED STUR- GEON. WHITE STURGEON. Body elongate, tapering into the slender depressed tail, which extends in the young beyond C. as a slender filament ; shields sharply keeled ; dorsal shields 15 to 18; lateral, 41 to 46 ; ventral, 11 to 13. L. 5 feet. Miss. Valley, etc., common. (TrXaru?, flat; pvyxos> 31. ACIPENSER (Artedi) Linnaeus. (Lat., sturgeon.) a. Plates between vent and A. large, in one or two rows. b. Space between dorsal and lateral shields with stellate plates of moder- ate size in 5 to 10 series : last dorsal shield of moderate size, more than half length of one before it. 41. A. sturio L. COMMON STURGEON. First dorsal fulcrum somewhat enlarged, its surface rough ; dorsal shields 9 to 11 ; lateral shields 26 to 31 ; ventral, 9 or 10; 2 rows of 2 shields each, with one median shield between vent and anal. D. 40, A. 26. L. 8 to 12 feet. N. Atlantic, ascending rivers; commonest N., S. to S. C. (A. oxyrhynchus Mitchill, the American form; said to have usually fewer lateral shields.) (£Jw.) (Lat., sturgeon.) bb. Space between dorsal and lateral shields with minute plates in very many series. c. Last dorsal shield of moderate size, more than half length of next the last ; dorsal shields 15 or 16. 42. A. rubicundus Le Sueur. LAKE STURGEON. ROCK STUR- GEON. First dorsal fulcrum slightly enlarged ; dorsal shields 15; lateral 38, ventral 10; 3 shields in a single row between anal fin LEPISOSTEID.E. — XXII. 35 and vent. D. 42, A. 27. Changes greatly with age, the young with sharp snout and very rough shields, and the spines strongly hooked ; the adult with blunt snout and small smooth shields, most of them finally lost. L. 6 feet. Miss. Valley, Great Lakes, and N., abundant, ascending rivers in spring, but not entering the sea. (Lat., ruddy.) cc. Last dorsal shield very small, less than half length of next the last ; dorsal shields 10 to 12. 43. A. brevirostrum Le Sueur. Snout short, bluntish, much shorter than rest of head. Dorsal shields 11 ; lateral, 30 ; ventral, 9 ; one shield between anal and vent. D. 43, A. 24. N. Y. to Fla., scarce. (Lat. brevis, short; rostrum, snout.) ORDER IX. GINGL.YMODI. This order, defined on page 25, contains but one family among recent fishes, although it has many allies among extinct forms; , hinge ; € ?8os, tooth.) FAMILY XXII. LEPISOSTEID^J. (THE GAR-FISHES.) Body subcylindical, covered with rhombic enamelled " ganoid " scales, imbricated in oblique series which run downward and back- ward. Jaws both elongate, the upper always projecting ; pre- maxillary forming most of upper jaw, the maxillary transversely divided into several pieces; lower jaw formed much as in rep- tiles; both jaws with an outer series of small teeth followed by one or two series of larger teeth of peculiar structure ; close-set, rasp- like teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines ; tongue toothless, broad, emarginate; external bones of head very hard, rugose. Eyes moderate; nostrils near end of snout; pseudobranchise present, besides an opercular gill ; B. 3 ; no spiracles ; air-bladder cellular, joined by a glottis to the oesophagus, resembling the lungs of rep- tiles, and used in respiration. Fins with fulcra ; D. short, nearly opposite A.; tail heterocercal, produced as a filament in young; vertebrae with ball and socket joint, as in reptiles ; pyloric cceca many. One genus now living, with 3 or 4 species. Singular fishes, inhabiting the lakes and larger rivers of Eastern North America. The species are extremely variable in coloration, length of snout, proportions, etc., a fact which has given rise to a multitude of use- less specific names. 32. LEPISOSTETTS Lace*pede. (XfTri's, scale; ooreoi/, bone; more correctly written Lepidosteus, but the above is the original word.) a. Beak long and slender, the snout more than twice length of rest of head. 44. L. osseus (L.). COMMON GAR-PIKE. LONG-NOSED GAR. BILL-FISH. Olivaceous; vertical fins and posterior parts with 36 TELEOSTEI : HALECOMORPHI. — X. round black spots, distinct in young ; very young with black lateral band. Length of snout 15 to 20 times its least width; large teeth of upper jaw in one row in the adult. Head 3 in length. D. 8, A. 9, V. 6, P. 10. Lat. 1. 62. L. 5 feet. Great Lakes to Carolina and Mexico; abundant. (Lat., bony.) aa. Beak shorter and broader, the snout not much longer than rest of head. b. Large teeth of upper jaw in one row on each side in adult: (an additional row on the palatines sometimes present in young.) 45. L. platystomua Rafinesque. SHORT-NOSED GAR-PIKE. Snout usually 1 to 1% times rest of head, its length 5 to 6 times its least width. Head 3£ in length, otherwise almost exactly as in L. osseus, the color rather darker, the size smaller. L. 3 feet. Miss, valley, etc., less common N. (nXarvs, flat ; crro/za, mouth.) bb. Large teeth of upper jaw in two series, the inner along outer edge of palatines. 46. L. tristcechus (Bloch & Schneider). ALLIGATOR GAR. MANJUARI. Snout usually shorter than rest of head, its least width 3^ in its length, otherwise essentially like the others ; but reaching an enormous size. L. 10 feet. Ills, to Mexico and Cuba. (rpi?, three ; o-roi^or, row.) ORDER X. HAL.ECOMOKPHI. (THE BOW-FINS.) This group, characterized on page 26, contains a single family among recent fishes. (Lat. halec, herring ; p.op