SPINOUS PIPE-FISHES. 193 



the following bones : — the ethmoid (or anterior 

 wall of the skull*) the vomer, (or central bone of 

 the roof of the mouth) the pre-operculuvi and 

 inter -operculum, (the anterior parts, above and 

 below, of the gill-cover) the pterygoids and tym- 

 panals, (bones which help to form the cheeks). 

 At the extremity of the osseous tube thus formed 

 is placed the mouth, composed of the bones of 

 the palate and the usual jaw-bones. In addition 

 to this strongly marked character, it may be ob- 

 served that the ribs are very short, or altogether 

 wanting, and that the intestinal canal is short, 

 comparatively free from irregularities and from 

 windings. 



This small Family, scarcely mustering twenty 

 species, contains two peculiarities of form, the 

 types of two sub-families. 



1. Fistulariana. In these the body is long and 

 slender, with the head about one-third of the 

 whole length. They have six or seven gill-rays ; 

 with some bony appendages behind the head, to 

 strengthen the fore parts of the body. There is, 

 but one dorsal, situated far back, immediately 

 above the anal ; the stomach is a fleshy tube 

 merging into a straight canal, with two ccsca at 

 the commencement. These are the little fishes 

 frequently brought home as curiosities from the 

 tropical parts of the Atlantic and Pacific, and 

 called Tobacco-pipe fishes. There are eight 

 species enumerated, but they are of no use to 

 man. 



2. Centriscina, The mouth- tube is slender and 

 cylindrical, and the body is oval or oblong, not 



* Professor Owen, (Corap. Anat. ii. 104.) It helps to support 

 and protect the organs of smell. 



O 



