21 



and benrs a close likness to it. While the pipe-fish's head was so posed, 

 he would focus one of his eyes on a flea next and above him, then, 

 suddenly throwing up his head and drawing in the water at his pointed 

 snout, seize his prey with a sort of snap-action, like a dog catching a 

 small piece of food thrown to him. The pipe-fish would continue these 

 movements for hoiirs, and always took the same leisurely survey and focus 

 of the object before taking it, somewhat like a chameleon taking a fly. 

 I observed, that these fishes feed by day, never at night, when they are 

 resting at the bottom of the tank. The larger pipe-fish, whose history I 

 am recording, died on the seventh of December, having lived just three 

 months in my aquarium. I can only suppose his death was owing to in- 

 sufficiency of food or warmth during the last week's cold dark weather. 



The family of pipe-fishes are noted for mauy interesting peculiarities. 

 The jaws are united, forming a tube more or less cylindrical ; the gills, 

 instead of having the pectinated appearance of most of the other fishes, 

 are separated into small round tufts which are arranged along the 

 branchial arches, and the fishes of this family are therefore called 

 LophohraneMi. These tufts are defended externally by a large hard 

 operculum having an aperture in the connecting membrane at its upper 

 and posterior part, and are further defended by the number of indurated 

 sculptured plates, by which their lengthened bodies are covered. 



According to Yarrell (2nd. edition, p. 434) Syngnathus acutus is found 

 on mauy parts of our coast; sometimes at low water among sea-weeds, at 

 other times in deep-waters. It is believed, that the habit of proceeding 

 to deep water at two different seasons has reference to important changes 

 connected with the production of its young. Mr. Walcott's observations 

 are as follows : — "The male difiers from the female in the belly fi'om the 

 vent to the tail fin, being much broader, and, in having, for two-thirds of 

 its length, two soft flaps which fold together and form a false belly or 

 pouch. They breed in summer, the females casting their roe into the false 

 belly of the males." Mr. Walcott adds, "they begin to breed when only 

 4 or 5 inches long." Mr. Hesso has noticed " the great attachment of 

 the adult pipe-fishes to their young, and this pouch probably serves as a 

 place of shelter to which the young can retreat in case of danger. He had 

 been assured by fishermen, that if the young were shaken out of the pouch 

 into the water over the side of the boat, they did not swim away, but, 

 when the parent fish was held in the water in a favourable position, the 

 young would again enter the pouch. " 



