812 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxviii. 



After the (exclusion of the young", eonnectioii ])etween them and the 

 parent ceases, so far at least as recourse to the pouch is concerned. 

 Unlike the open-pouched pipe-tishes the sea-horses apparently can 

 not readmit the young to the shelter of its small-mouthed sack-like 

 pouch. It was Lockwood's "■ belief that with the sea-horse the termina- 

 tion of development is the end of their solicitude for the young,"" 



The newly born young, 5 to <> lines in length, are quite luilike the 

 parent tish in some respects, while in others they resemble him. The 

 scales are undeveloped, and instead of the pipe-like mouth the snout is 

 short and broad; nevertheless the general form is similar to that of 

 the adult, and the tail, though shorter and rounded, is incurv^ed inward. 

 The tail is immediately utilized, we are told by Lockwood, 



VI, 



The species of UippociivipuK are numerous (})etween 30 and •10), but 

 the many connnon characters are so much more prominent and striking 

 than the specific ones that the latter are apt to be lost sight of and 

 overshadow^ed by the former. The distinctions between the species 

 are chiefly based on the length and number of rays of the dorsal tin, 

 the luuuber of rings encircling the body, the comparative lengths of 

 the body and tail behind the anus, the depth of the body or distance 

 across from the dorsal I'idge to the ventral, and the relative length of 

 the head and snout in front of the eyes. These are supplemented by 

 the comparative development of the tul)ercles or spines, of the coronet 

 at the crown of the hea<l or nape, of the filaments with which the l)ody 

 may be covered, and the color. In illustration of such, figures are 

 given of four species. 



The conunon eastern American sea-horse (HijypoccDiij^us hudtionins) 

 has a long dorsal Avith about ll> rays, about 45 (10+32-35) rings, the 

 tail longer than head and truidv combined, the snout short but appre- 

 ciably hmger than rest of head (1.3 — 1.4:1), and the depth of the 

 ))ody ai)pr<^ximately equals the length of the head. The coronet is 

 little developed, the tubercles and spines weak, and the filaments 

 rather few, short, and mostly simple. The color is dusky and spotless 

 (but ])l()tched) and the dorsal has a submarginal dark band. 



The sea-wrack sea horse {Hippoeainpus zosterse) of Florida contrasts 

 with the connnon species of the north in most of its characters. It 

 has a short dorsal (covering only 3 rings) with about 12 rays, about 41 

 (11 + 30) rings, the tail rather shorter than the rest of the body, the 

 snout extremely short and not more than half the rest of the head, and 

 the depth of the body great and almost equal to length from snout to 

 margin of pectoral fins. The coronet is high, the spines are well 

 developed, and the hhnnents moderate and often branched. The color 

 is olive green, more or less mottled, and the dorsal has no distinct 



