424 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



10. Histiophorus americanus, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



(inehucii hranUiemibiis, Marcgrave, Hist. Brasil. 1G48. 



<^Scomher (jhidius, BloCH, 1. c. 



<C^Histiophoruis yladiits, authors. — 



Histiophorus americanus, Cuv. & Val. 1. c. p. 303. 



Skepoiiopodus guebucu, Nardo, Isis, Heft iv, p. 416. 



The history of tliis species is given below. Liitken follows the general 

 lead in identifying this with //. gladkis. 



11. Kistiophorus orientalis, Temniinck & Schlesel. 



Ilistiupltorus vritntuUs, Temm. & Schleg. Fauna Japouca, Pisces, 184i?, p. 103, 

 pi. Iv (specimen 7 feet long, from Japjin). — GIjnther, oj). cit. p. 514. — 

 LtJTKEN, Vi(l. Med. Nat. Foren. 1875, p. 1, pi. i (specimen 7 feet 1;^ inches 

 long, from Singapore). 



In his first paper on the Sword fishes Liitken, though doubtful, seemed 

 inclined to consider this a distinct species. In "Spolia Atlantica" 

 he speaks of two species of IlisUophorufi, but I am unable to decide 

 whether it is this or M. gracilirostris which he regards as well sei)arated 

 from H. gladins. Speaking of the occurrence of this fish in the seas of 

 Japan, Temmiuck and Schlegel remark that its Japanese name is "He- 

 rivo"; that it is occasionally taken in autumn on the southwest coast of 

 Japan during the progress of the tunny fishery, and that its flesh is 

 much esteemed. 



12. Histiophorus immaculatus, Riippell. 



Histiophorus InmaciiJatus, RCppell, Proc. Zool. Soc. iii, 1835, p. 187 (abstract): 

 Trans. Zool. Soc. ii, p. 71, pi. xv: "N. W. Fiscbe, p. 47, taf. xi, tig. 3".— 

 GiJNTHER, 1 c. — LtJTKEN, 11. c— Day, Fish. India, 1876, p. 199. 



Eiippell's specimen came from Djetta on the Eed Sea, where the Arabs 

 caught it in a net. He regards it as rare because the Arabs had no 

 common name for it. The specimen is preserved in the museum at 

 Frankfort, and, if I rightly understand Dr. Liitken, is 18 inches long. 

 Dr. Liitken unhesitaringiy pronounces it the youug of H. gladius or 

 R. orientalis, considering it to be slightly older than the one figured by 

 Cuvier and Valenciennes as 11. pulcheUus. 



Day mentions a specimen of this species in the Madras Museum 5 feet 

 9 inches long. This, to be consistent witn Liitken's theory, must be 

 regarded as a specimen in which the colors have disappeared. 



13. His'.iophorus pulcliellus, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



Histiophorus pulcheUus, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii, 1831, p. 305, pi. 



CCXX. — GtJNTHEK, Op. cit. p. 514. — LtJTKEX, 11. C. 



Cuvier and Yaleuciennes described under this name a specimen 4 

 inches long taken in tlie Eastern Atlantic, north of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, probably somewhere on the west coast of Africa, hy M. Kaynaud. 

 There were said to have been a great many more of the same size in the 

 place where it was taken. 



Liitkevi regards it as the young of Histiophorus gladius. He uses it to 



