100 THE NATURALIST IN BERMUDA. 
in March, 1850. It is correctly figured in De Kay’s New 
York Fauna. 
SworD FisH (Xzphias gladius). I have not met with 
this fish in the Bermudas, and the only opportunity I ever 
had of witnessing the effect of the amazing power of the 
X. gladius occurred to me on the 17th February, 1849, 
when the Bermudian schooner “ Earl Dundonald” arrived 
in the port of Hamilton, having been pierced by one of 
these formidable fish off the coast of British Guiana, the 
particulars of which occurrence appeared in the Bermuda 
Royal Gazette of Feb. 27, 1849, in the following paragraph. 
“The schooner, ‘ Earl Dundonald, belonging to D. R. 
Tucker, Esq., of Hamilton, sailed from Bermuda on the 11th 
Dee. last, under the charge of Capt. Wm. 8. Doe—Passen- 
gers: Robert A. Tucker, — Brown, of New York, and 
B. W. Watlington, Esqrs. When about 70 miles to wind- 
ward of Demerara, and running down for that port, the 
vessel going six or seven knots, with a strong breeze, the 
man who was steering observed, for a short time, that the 
vessel broached to a little, and that she did not answer the 
helm readily. In the course, however, of two or three 
minutes the vessel was again under the control of the 
helm, and no further notice was taken of the occurrence. 
Subsequently a very small quantity of water was observed 
on the cabin floor, and it seemed to proceed from the locker, 
under and abaft of the cabin ladder; Capt. Doe was 
induced to examine the locker, and found the bill of a fish, 
about 94 inches inside the ceiling on the larboard side, and 
so firmly fixed that it could not be moved. The bill is of a 
fish called by mariners the “ bill fish.” 
On boarding the vessel, in company with several gentle- 
