148 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



1861, p. 7819) states respecting one captured in Norfolk, that its flesh when 

 dressed was white, palatable, and not unlike that of the sturgeon. Linnaeus 

 compared it to salmon. It is dressed in Italy in a manner similar to that 

 employed for the tunny, than which it obtains a higher price. 



Diseases. It is occasionally perceived springing out of the water, attributed 

 by some to exuberance of joy, by others to the irritation of parasitic worms. 

 Philichthys xiphice, Steenst. (see An. and Mag. 1868 (4), i, p. 303), is a parasite 

 found in this fish. Couch gives an instance on the authority of a sailor, in 

 which one of these fishes, 8 or 9 feet long, was seen closely pursued by a 

 blue-shark, and was twice observed to leap out of the water to escape its pursuer. 

 The result of the chase was not ascertained. 



Habitat. In Europe it extends from Scandinavia, the Baltic, North Sea, 

 and Atlantic through the Mediterranean. Also in the Atlantic down the 

 western shores of Africa to near the tropics. In the western hemisphere it is 

 occasionally taken in Newfoundland, and is distributed from Nova Scotia to the 

 West Indies. It has also been recorded from the southern hemisphere (Hector, 

 Trans. New Zealand Inst, vii, p. 246, likewise Cheeseman, 1. c. viii, p. 219, and 

 Hutton, I.e. p. 211). 



During the summer and autumn, mostly from July and until even as late 

 as November, it is not uncommon around the coasts of Great Britain, more 

 especially on the south and south-west, while it is not unfrequently taken in 

 the Bristol Channel and Estuary of the Severn. In October, 1862, one, 9 feet 

 1 inch long, was taken in Essex, it had driven its sword into the mud and was 

 captured alive, when it was found that due to an old standing injury the end 

 of its snout was wanting. In October, the previous year, one, 9 feet 5 inches 

 long, was found partially stranded off the Norfolk coast, and drawn ashore by 

 a noose being placed over its tail (T. Gurney, Zool. p. 7819). In September, 

 1863, one, 7 feet 7 inches long and weighing 147 lb., was entangled in a 

 pilchard drift net off Plymouth : in its stomach were found pilchards and 

 cuttle fishes (J. Reading, Zool. p. 8932). In August, 1878, one, 8 feet 

 7 inches long and weighing 138 lb., was taken by means of a hook and line 

 at Mount's Bay, Cornwall (Cornish, Zool. p. 351) : in July, the same year, a 

 female, 9~ feet long and weighing 3g cwt., was taken in a drift net off 

 Devonshire (Gatcombe, Zool. p. 351). July 14th, 1879, one, 9 feet long, 

 was taken off the Norfolk coast in a mackerel net (Gurney, Zool. p. 342). 

 Numerous others are recorded. In Banffshire Edward mentions a small example 

 captured by a shrimper. 



The remains of a portion of one taken in a net on the Wexford coast in 1786, 

 were sent to the Dublin University Museum. 



The example (No. 1) figured, is 30 inches long, for which I am indebted 

 to Dr. Hubrecht, of Leyden : the smaller one, figured half natural size, is in 

 the Leyden Museum : it is said to attain to 15 feet in length. 



YOUJvG OF XIPHIAS. 



