Suborder Jugulares 711 
able opercular spines are weapons of defense, and when seized 
by the fisherman the fish is apt to throw its head in the direc- 
tion of the hand and lance a spine into it. The pungent dorsal 
spines are also defensive. Although without a poison gland, 
such as some fishes distantly related have at the base of the 
spines, they cause very severe wounds, and death may occur 
from tetanus. They are therefore divested of both opercular 
and dorsal spines before being exposed for sale. The various 
popular names which the weevers enjoy, in addition to their 
general designation, mostly refer to the armature of the spines, 
or are the result of the armature; such are adder-fish, sting- 
fish, and sting-bull.”’ 
No species of Trachinide is known from North America or 
from Asia. In these fishes, as Dr. Boulenger has lately shown, 
the hypercoracoid is without foramen, the usual perforation 
lying between this bone and the hypercoracoid. A similar con- 
dition exists in the Anacanthini, or codfishes, but it seems to 
have been developed independently in the two groups. In the 
relatives of the Trachinide the position of this foramen changes 
gradually, moving by degrees from its usual place to the lower 
margin of the hypercoracoid. Species referred to Trachinus are 
recorded from the Miocene as well as Trachinus. 
The extinct group of Callipterygide found in the Eocene of 
Monte Bolca seems allied to the Trachinide. It has the dorsal 
fin continuous, the spines small, the soft rays high; the scales 
are very small or wanting. Callipteryx speciosus and C. recti- 
candus are the known species. 
The Nototheniide.—In the family of Nototheniide the for- 
amen is also wanting or confluent with the suture between the 
coracoids. To this family belong many species of the Antarctic 
tegion. These are elongate fishes with ctenoid scales and a 
general resemblance to small Hexagrammide. In most of the 
genera there is more than one lateral line. These species are 
the antipodes of the Cottide and Hexagrammide; although lack- 
ing the bony stay of the latter, they show several analogical 
resemblances and have very similar habits. 
The Harpagijeride, naked, with the opercle armed with spines, 
and resemble sculpins even more closely than do the Notothenide. 
Harpagifer is found in Antarctic seas, and the three species of 
