428 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 

 Diagnosis of suhfamily. 



Xiphiid fislies, with bodies somewhat compressed, scaleless, or in 

 young- state covered with rough grauuhitions. Sword llattened hori 

 zoutally. Teeth absent. Pectorals subhiteral. Pelvic arch and ven- 

 trals absent. A keel ui)on each side of the caudal ])eduncle. Air-blad- 

 der simide. Intestine long, sinuous. A single genus, Xiphias, L. 



Genus Xiphias Artedi. 



Xiphias, Artedi, Genera Piscium, 1738, p. 29. 

 Xiphias, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. s, 1758, p. 248; ed. xii, p. 432. 

 Xiphias, CuviEU, Regiie Auimal, 1817, p. 326, 1829, p. 200. 

 Xiphias, GuNTHER, 1. c. 



Diagnosis of genus. 



Xiphiine iishes, with two dorsal fins in adnlt condition, the continn 

 ous dorsal of the young having become rudimentary in its median por- 

 tion. Preoperculum spineless in adult, the large spine of the young 

 disappearing at an early age. Teeth absent "except upon the pliaryn- 

 geal bones, which are covered with a villosity of extremely fine and 

 minute denticles." [Owen.) Number of dorsal rays probably variable. 

 Vertebra?. 26 [Sieindachner). Branchiostegals 7. Stomach siphonal. 

 pyloric ciEca very numerous. Gall-bladder large. 



Habitat. — Tropical and temi)erate i)arts of the Atlantic, Mediter- 

 ranean, Xew Zealand, South Pacific, and South Sea. 



A single species of this genus is now known, Xiphias gladius. L. The 

 species recorded in Gijntheii's Catalogue oi the Fishes in the British 

 Museum, vol. ii, p. 512, under the name Xiphias relifer, if not mythical, 

 is i^robably a Ristiophorus. Lacepede's figure represents it with two 

 caudal carinoi. 



17. Xiphias gladius, Liuiiajus. 



Xiphias (jJadius, LiXNyEUS, Systenia Natnrie, lOtli ed. 1758, i, p. 248: 12th ed. 

 17G6, i, p. 432. ("Habitat in oceano Europie".) 



Bloch, Ichtiiyologie, i, 17Hi, ]fl. Lxxvi, p. 23. (Habits, from staiemeuttj 

 of Chevalier Hamilton.) 



Gmelin, Linn, Syst. Nat. 1788, p. 1149 (includes also nuder (B) the Ameri- 

 can Histiophonts.) 



Walbaum, Artedi, Genera Piscium, 1792, p. 207. 



LACi:PEUK, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 2d ed. 8vo. 1819, i, p. 538, fig. 2, pi. 24 (gro- 

 tesque ligure). 



SCHNEiDEi:, Bloch's Systema Ichthyologiie, 1801, p. 93 (mentions occur- 

 rence iu Baltic). 



Shaw, Zoology, 1804. 



Rrsso, Iclitliyologie de Nice, 1830, p. 99 (obs. on habits): Hist. Nat. Eu- 

 rope Meridiouale, 182(1-7, iii, p. 208. 



CuviER, Regne Animal, 1 ed. 1817, p. 320; 2d ed. 1829, p. 200: Griffith's 

 ed. 1834, p. 187, pi. xxvii, tigs. 1, 2 (taken from Cuv. & 7al. Hist. Nat. 

 Poiss. 9, v), Supl. p. 349. 



ScouEsBY, ia Ediiiburg Phil. Journ. iii, j). 441 (vessel struck by sword 

 nsh). 



