recently caught in the river Tatf. 429 



made out,)through openings similar to tiose oft the back. But the 

 interrupted fin is a peculiarity which does not exclusively belong: 

 to the Xiphias ; it extends evidently to other genera of the Scorn-' 

 broides, as is evident from an engraving, givea by M. Bory St. 

 Vincent, of the Scmnbre pelamide.* In thi& fish, the dorsai tin 

 presents, first, as in the Xiphias, a greatly elevated portion, which 

 gradually diminishes, and is at last seemingly interrupted ; then 

 there arises a second considerably elevated portion, supported like 

 the other by spines or radii. This suddenly diminishes, and front 

 the point of this diminution to the caudal fin, (a considerablff 

 space,) the dorsal line is ocenpied by eight small detached finSy 

 seemingly unconnected with each other. 



But, returning to the Xiphias, it appeared to me, as I have said, 

 that these portions of the caudal fin projected through openings of 

 the same nature as those I have described occupying so large an 

 extent of the dorsal line ; but this fact I could not make out so dis- 

 tinctly as quite to satisfy myself. I oflfer it therefore rather as a 

 conjecture, to be confirmed by others. In the mean time, it is ob- 

 vious that to describe these ftns accurately, the language of natu-' 

 ralists would require to be considerably modified. 



The elevated ridges on each side of the body, near the setting oh 

 of the tail, projected very considerably, the left more than the 

 right. They resembled strongly the dorsal fin of the porpess, in 

 being composed internally of a similar looking substance, and in 

 not possessing spines nor bones to support them ; their uses cannot 

 well be guessed at. 



The radii branchiostegi are seven in number on each side. 



The internal organs had been coarsely removed, previous to the 

 specimen coming into my possession, and putrefaction had done 

 much towards destropng their texture. A small portion of the 

 ovarium, containing myriads of very minute ova, proved the sex. 

 The pancreatic coeca were extremely numerous, and the tubes lead^ 

 ing from them to the duodenum so large as readily to admit a fin- 

 ger. The liver had been removed altogether. There was a very 

 obvious gall-bladder, and likewise a urinary bladder. Various £»- 

 iozoa inhabit many of these viscera, specimens of which have beeii 

 preserved. 



We may then still, I think, retain the characters of this variety 

 at least, of the Xiphias, as given with great accuracy and correct- 

 ness by an excellent observer. Dr. Leach, t until it be shown either 

 that it is a distinct species, or merely a variety of the Xiphias Gla- 

 dius, dependent on other causes than those already stated by natu- 

 ralists. The language of systematic works, in characterizing the 

 Xiphias, is, " anal and dorsal fins entire ;" but this is Hik strictly 

 applicable to the specimens seen by Dr. Leach and by myself. The 



" Voyage, Collection de Planches, 1804. 



-|- " Pinna dorsalis nigra, interrupta, intervallo exarato."— Leach, 3lera. Wer. 

 Soc. 



