ACANTHOPTERYGII. 349 



existence of such a property. The Savala also inhabits the 

 coasts of China. 



We insert figures of three species in the British Museum, 

 under the respective names of T. armatus, T. muticus, and 

 T. rnedius, sufficiently to be distinguished by the form of the 

 head and under jaw. They are described by Mr. Gray in his 

 Zool. Miscel. 



We now turn to the genus Xiphias. 



The only species known of Xiphias proper {X. gladius), 

 has received names from all nations, Zhjhciq, gladius, epee, 

 dard, pesce-spada, schwerd-fisch, sword-fish, sufficiently in- 

 dicating the most striking trait in its conformation, the 

 trenchant and pointed lamina, which prolongs its muzzle, 

 and menaces every thing which it approaches. The name of 

 Empereur, which it bears in Provence, and on the coast of 

 Genoa, comes, as they say, from the relation which it ex- 

 hibits to those figures in which the Caesars are represented 

 sword in hand. 



Aristotle long ago observed that the tunnies and the 

 sword-fish, towards the rising of the dogstar, are tormented 

 with the oestrus, which he somewhat vaguely describes as a 

 sort of little worm, of the figure of a scorpion and the size of 

 a spicier. This oestrus, which occasions them such severe 

 pains that they cast themselves on the shore, or at least upon 

 vessels, is a parasite of the family of Lernsea, the pennatula 

 filosa of Gmelin, or the penilla of M. Oken. 



Belon remarks not only the resemblance between the 

 tunny and the xiphias, but assures us that the Provencals of 

 his time prepared them in the same manner, and made them 

 subservient to the same uses. 



This species comes to an enormous size, so much so that 

 the ancients were induced to range it in the cetacea. With 

 them, however, be it observed, that the word cete only signi- 

 fied very large fishes. It is not rare to find individuals of 



