Suborder Jugulares 501 



able opercular spines are weapons of defense, and when seized 

 by the fisherman the fish is apt to throw its head in the direc- 

 tion of the hand and lance a spine into it. The pungent dorsal 

 spines are also defensive. Although without a poison gland, 

 such as some fishes distantly related have at the base of the 

 spines, they cause very severe wounds, and death may occur 

 from tetanus. They are therefore divested of both opercular 

 and dorsal spines before being exposed for sale. The various 

 popular names which the weevers enjoy, in addition to their 

 general designation, mostly refer to the armature of the spines, 

 or are the result of the armature; such are adder-fish, sting- 

 fish, and sting-bull." 



No species of Trachinidce is known from North America or 

 from Asia. In these fishes, as Dr. Boulenger has lately shown, 

 the hypercoracoid is without foramen, the usual perforation 

 lying between this bone and the hypercoracoid. A similar con- 

 dition exists in the Anacanthini, or codfishes, but it seems to 

 have been developed independently in the two groups. In the 

 relatives of the Trachinida the position of this foramen changes 

 gradually, moving by degrees from its usual place to the lower 

 margin of the hypercoracoid. Species referred to Trachinus are 

 recorded from the Miocene as well as Trachinus. 



The extinct group of Callipterygida found in the Eocene of 

 Monte Bolca seems allied to the Trackinidaz. It has the dorsal 

 fin continuous, the spines small, the soft rays high; the scales 

 are very small or wanting. Callipteryx speciosus and C. recti- 

 candus are the known species. 



The Nototheniidae. In the family of Nototheniidcz the for- 

 amen is also wanting or confluent with the suture between the 

 coracoids. To this family belong many species of the Antarctic 

 region. These are elongate fishes with ctenoid scales and a 

 general resemblance to small Hexagrammidce. In most of the 

 genera there is more than one lateral line. These species are 

 the antipodes of the Cottidcs and Hexagrammidce ; although lack- 

 ing the bony stay of the latter, they show several analogical 

 resemblances and have very similar habits. 



The Harpagiferida, naked, with the opercle armed with spines, 

 and resemble sculpins even more closely than do the N otoikenidaz . 

 Harpagifer is found in Antarctic seas, and the three species of 



