434 SYNGNATHID;E. 



ranged in two divisions; the first of which includes two 

 marsupial Pipe-fish, S. acus and S. typhle, having true 

 caudal fins : four ophidial Pipe-fish, which may be again 

 divided into two sections, the first of which contains two 

 species, S. aquoreus and S. anguineus, having each a rudi- 

 mentary caudal fin ; the second section, also containing two 

 species, S. ophidian and *$*. lumbriciformis, in which there 

 is no rudimentary caudal fin, the round tail ending in a 

 fine point. 



The natural history of the Syngnathi appears not to have 

 been so well understood, nor the species so clearly defined 

 by the older authors as those of many other genera. By 

 giving, in this work, figures taken from the specimens, and 

 adding besides, as vignettes, enlarged representations of 

 those parts which assist in determining specific distinction, 

 six species, it is hoped, will be made out ; and only those 

 actually obtained on the British coast, and of which specimens 

 are preserved, will be included. They are all marine. 



Syngnathus acus, or the Great Pipe-fish, is one of the 

 most common species, and is found on many parts of the 

 coast, sometimes at low- water among seaweed, at other times 

 in deep water. It is believed that the habit of proceeding 

 to deep water at two different periods of the season has re- 

 ference to important and interesting changes connected with 

 the production of the young. 



In a MS. History of British Fishes, written by the late 

 John Walcott, Esq.* during his residence at Teignmouth 

 in the years 1784 and 85, and which has been most kindly 

 lent to me by his son, William Walcott, Esq. with liberty 

 to make any use of it in the present work, I found a state- 

 ment in reference to the sexes of S. acus, which has since 

 been confirmed by four Continental naturalists, and which 



* Author of various published woiks on Natural History. 



