THE SAIL-FISH. 357 



In a paper printed in 1833, Dr. Nardo, of Venice, proposed the establishment of a new genus 

 allied to Tetrapturus and Xiphias, to be called Nkeponopodm. In this he included the fish described 

 by Marcgrave under the name Skeponopodux guebucu, and also a form observed by him in the 

 Adriatic in 1829, which he called S. typus. I am not aware that ichthyologists have yet learned 

 what this may have been. 1 



From the time of Marcgrave until 1872 it does not appear that any zoologist had any oppor- 

 tunity to study a Sail-fish from America, or even from the Atlantic; yet in Giinther's "Catalogue" 

 the name H. amerlcaniis is discarded and the species of America is assumed to be identical with 

 that of the Indian Ocean. 8 



Giinther restores Lacepede's name, H. gladiim, for the Indian species. Possibly, indeed 

 probably, this name will be found to include the Sail-fish of our own coast. At present, however, 

 it seems desirable to retain a separate name. To unite species from widely distant localities 

 without ever having seen them is very disastrous to a proper understanding of the problems of 

 geographical distribution. 



The mate.rials in the National Museum consist of a skeleton and a painted plaster cast of the 

 specimen taken near Newport, Rhode Island, in 1872. and a drawing made of the same, while fresh, 

 by Mr. J. II. Blake. 



The occurrence of the Sail-fish is, as has been already stated, very unusual. Marcgrave saw 

 it in Brazil as early as 1G48. Sagra and Poey mention that it has been seen about Cuba, and 

 Schoniburg includes it in his Barbados list. The specimen in the United States National Museum 

 was taken off Newport, Rhode Island, in August, 1872, and given to Professor Bairdby Mr. Samuel 

 Powell, of Newport. No others were observed in our waters until March, 1878, when, according 

 to Mr. Neyle Habersham, of Savannah, Georgia, two were taken by a vessel between Savannah 

 and Indian River, Florida, and were brought to Savannah, where they attracted much attention 

 in the market. In 1873, according to Mr. E. G. Blackford, a specimen in a very mutilated condi- 

 tion was brought from Key West to New York City. 



MOVEMENTS OF SAIL-FISHES. No observations have been made in this country, and recourse 

 must be had to the statements of observers in the other hemisphere. 



In the life of Sir Stamford Raffles there is the following account from Singapore, under date of 

 November 30, 1822 : 



"The only amusing discovery we have recently made is that of a sailing fish, called by the 

 natives Ikan layer, of about ten or twelve feet long, which hoists a mainsail, and often sails in the 

 manner of a native boat, and with considerable swiftness. I have, sent a set of the sails home, as 

 they are beautifully cut and form a model for a fast-sailing boat. When a school of these are 

 under sail together they are frequently mistaken for a fleet of native boats." 



The fish referred to is in all likelihood Histiophorus tjladiim, a species very closely related to, 

 if not identical with, our own. 



THE SPEAli-Fl.SlI TliTBAP'J TIM ';: U.BIDUS. 



This species appears to be limited to the waters of the .Mediterranean. It was not noticed by 

 Liunajus, or indeed by any of the binomial writers before Schneider. In his posthumous edition 

 of the writings of Bloch, the latter has made reference to a figure and description in Dnhamel, 

 and has given to a fish, which he figures in Plate XXI of this work, the mame Xiphias impcratiir. 



<-:tt, Ilrft iv, pp. 415-419. 



a The specimens iu the Brixish Museum aro cataloged as follows: a. Ei^lit fret loiift ; stntlVd. Itxlhin Ocean. 

 Type of the species. *. Seven feet long; stuffed. Cape of Good Hope. c. Dorsal fin. N. S. Wales (f). Presented 

 by Dr. G. Bennett, d. Snout; dried. 



