2 8 Natukai. History Bulletin. 



ment to a sailing vessel. The •' Sargasso Sea " itself is said to 

 equal the continent of Europe in extent, and lies between 20" 

 and 35" north latitude, and 30' and 60' west longitude. 



The inhabitants of this gulf weed form an exceedingly 

 interesting subject for study, the following being especially 

 worthy of mention : The most characteristic fish is a little 

 Autenmirins. which has become wonderfully adapted to life 

 among the sea-weed, and is one of the very best examples of 

 protective form and coloration that could be found. The liesh\' 

 tags streaming from the rostral spine, dorsal fins and abdomen, 

 resemble very closely the ends of the young leaves of the sea- 

 weed, while the maculations of brown, white and olive assimi- 

 late perfectly with the brown stems blotched with white br\'- 

 ozoa, and the olive of the leaves. It would be a sharp-eyed 

 bird indeed that could see the fish surrounded by a mass of 

 the sargasso weed. A still more wonderful adaptation to its 

 en\ironment is found in the geniculated pectorals, which look 

 grotesquely like arms and hands, the terminal spines with 

 the membrane between them curiously resembling a hand 

 with widely spread fingers. These strangely modified fins 

 are capable of being used as grasping organs, wherewith the 

 fish can firmly cling to the stems of the plant. 



A small Ballstcs, or '-file fish," was seciired. characteriz^id 

 by having one abdominal and three dorsal spines. A JIoiio- 

 canthits of grotesque shape, with its enormous head and min- 

 ute mouth, was especialh^ interesting on account of its greatly 

 developed rigid dorsal spine, which is strongly serrated. 

 This spine can be erected with a snap, or laid back almost out 

 of sight in a groove on the dorsal surface of the animal. A 

 little Diodoii, or •• porcupine fish," was also taken with the 

 gulf weed, but seemed quite disinclined to give an exhibition 

 of its peculiar powers of inflating itself, and showing off its 

 bristling armature for our instruction. 



All of the fish, it will be observed, were especially \)Vo- 

 tected to meet the demands of their exceedingl\- exposed posi- 

 tion, the Antcniiarius being passively protected by its form 

 and coloration, and the others aggressively protected by for- 



