CHIM/ERA AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS. 



THE LIVING FISH: COLOR, SIZE, DISTRIBUTION, HABITS. 

 This section was sugi^^ested as a beginning for the present memoir, since, in 

 spite of many references, no observations have hitherto been pubHshed describing 

 the hving fish. In fact, the impression which the rank and file of zoologists have of 

 Chimjera is, I believe, derived from the figure* given by Valenciennes in the illus- 

 trated edition of Cuvier's Regne Animal, which has been copied trustfully by text- 

 books, even by those which have appeared during recent years. This figure was 

 evidently taken from a stufted specimen, and gives the grotesque appearance of one 

 of Aldrovandus's monsters, thus well meriting the name of ' ' Chimjera. " It is a sur- 



Fig. 1. — Chimaera colliei. One- fifth actual size. 



The upper specimen, a male, shows the (ronlal clasping organ everted, a position which was only retained by fastening the organ m 

 this position. The mixipterygia were turned somewhat sideways, so as to make them more apparent. The antero-venlral claspmg organ 

 is not conspicuous, but its tip is seen to protrude from the vertical slit immediately in front of the pelvic fin. The figure indicates the 

 translucency of the snout region. 



The lower, larger specimen, a well-grown female, shows immediately above the base of the ventral Bn the tumid eramence at the 

 opening of an oviduct. It illustrates, as secondary sexual characters, the narrower pectoral fin and first dorsal. 

 The photographs illusttale the translucency of the fins and delicate sheen of the newly-caagbt specimens. 



prise, therefore, to find that the fish is, in point of fact, remarkably beautiful, its 

 contours well rounded, its fins delicate, and its colors almost herring-like in bril- 

 liancy. Instead of ' 'Chimaera" it deserves rather its popular Norwegian name, ' 'king 

 of the herrings," or, better still, its Japanese name, "gin-same " (silver shark). 

 On the other hand, it can not be denied that there is a suspicion of grotesqueness 



*This is scarcely more satisfactory than the "fantastic figures of Clusius and .\ldrovan(lus," to which this 



author refers. 



II 



