OEN.ACESTRA. STRAIGHT-NOSED PIPE-FISH. 279 



the thickness of a goose-quill, and is readily known 

 from the preceding by the remarkably long narrow 

 tail. The body is scarcely angular while it is alive, 

 but becomes so after death, when the parts begin to 

 dry. The sexual peculiarities of the genus Acestra 

 have been observed chiefly in this species, and Mr. 

 Yarrell says that neither male nor female possesses 

 an anal pouch, but the ova after exclusion from the 

 abdomen of the female are carried for a time by the 

 male in separate hemispheric depressions on the ex- 

 ternal surface of the abdomen, anterior to the anus. 

 The females have no such depressions. Males taken 

 in August were found to have one ovum of the size 

 and colour of a mustard-seed lodged in each cup- 

 like cell. 



Seems to be pretty generally distributed, but oc- 

 curs nowhere in great plenty. 



(Sp. 207.) A. ophidion. Straight-nosed Pipe or 

 Keedle-fish. Body very long, slender, and nearly 

 cylindrical, tapering from the anal aperture gradually 

 to a fine point. The head is very little narrower 

 than the anterior portion of the body, the forehead 

 very slightly depressed. Mr. Yarrell's English name, 

 therefore, is a very distinctive one. Mr. Jenyns 

 describes this species under the name of S. lumhri- 

 ciformisy and he states his belief that it is not un- 

 common on many parts of the coast, and is said to 

 be called in Cornwall the Sea-adder. Mr. Yarrell 

 obtained several specimens from the Dorsetshire 

 coast. 



(Sp. 208.) A. lumlriciformis. Worm Pipe or 



