pennant's globefish. 375 



spine with four horizontal branching roots or supports, arranged 

 in lines running obliquely backward. Eye eight tenths of an 

 inch in diameter, and two inches and two tenths of an inch 

 from the front. No visible gill-covers; the pectoral fin, with 

 fifteen rays, is two inches and a fifth behind the eye, placed 

 in a depression of the skin; the anterior portion of which has 

 a free margin, opening into the orifice of the gills; the posterior 

 continuous with the skin of the sides. No lateral line. Rays 

 of the dorsal fin eighteen, the anal fifteen; these fins opposite 

 each other, with fleshy roots, the anal near the vent, prominent; 

 the tail expanded, waved. In this example the upper parts 

 were dark with a tinge of blue, below, with the globe, silvery 

 white. 



But in the second example, which was smaller, the back 

 was a lively blue; of which colour also the other examples are 

 described. The skin is tough, and could be removed easily; 

 the cellular tissue loose; nerves of the skin large; two large 

 and long muscles extend from the pelvis along the lower border 

 of the globe; and so before, passing backward, with lateral 

 fibres passing transversely; all of them intermixed. Anteriorly 

 two long bones from the sternum passed obliquely backward, 

 one on either side, the whole length of the abdomen, and 

 from these the powerful circular fibres arose to assist in con- 

 tracting the globe when necessary. On the back the skin is 

 as if tattooed; an arch over each eye, and behind this a 

 transverse arch; from which there is one along the back to 

 near the caudal fin ; which fin has twelve rays. The air-bladder 

 is large, and separate from the globe. 



Professor Owen says that in the Globefishes the great air 

 sac seems to be a more direct development as a culde sac (or 

 pouch) of the gullet; and these fishes blow themselves up by 

 swallowing air, which escapes through a large anterior oblique 

 orifice into the sac; and this again communicates with the fore 

 part of the gullet by a second opening much smaller than the 

 first, and having a tumid valvular border; but it is hard to 

 imagine how this air for distention can be obtained at a con- 

 siderable depth from the surface; and in the instances which 

 are known it has not been discharged when safety required it 

 in order to escape capture. The supposition is ventured, 

 however, that when deeply immersed it is water that is swallowed 



