PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM, 427 



tbe name Histiophorus indicus. At the same time they founded anorher 

 species upon ^ the fignre in Piso's Natnral History of Brazil, already 

 mentioned. Tliis they called Histiophorus americamis. 



In a paper printed in 1833, Dr. Kardo, of Venice, proposed the estab- 

 lishment of a new genus allied to Tetnipturus and Xiphias, to be called 

 Skeponojwdus. In this he included the fish described by Marcgrave, 

 under the name Sl'epoiiopodus gnehiicu, and also a form observe<l l:)y him 

 in the Adriatic in 1829, which he called S. typus. 1 am not aware that 

 ichthyologists have yet learned what this may have been.* 



From the time of Marcgrave until 1872 it does not appear that any 

 zoologist had an opportunity to study a Sail-fish from America, or even 

 from tbe Atlantic, yet iu Giinther's "Catalogue" the name EistiO' 

 phorus americamis is discarded and the species of America is assumed 

 to be identical with that of the Indian Ocean.t 



Giinther restores Lacepede's name II. r/Jadius for the Indian species. 

 Possibly, indeed probably, this name will be found to include the Sail- 

 fish of our own coast. At present, however, it seems desirable to retain 

 a separate name. To unite species from widely distant localities with- 

 out ever having seen them, is very disastrous to a proper understand- 

 ing of the problems of geographical distribution. 



The materials in the National IMuseum consist of a skeleton and a 

 painted plaster cast of the specimen taken near Newport, R. I., in 1872, 

 and a drawing made of the same, while fresh, by Mr. J. H. Blake. 



The occurrence of the Sail-fish is, as has been already stated, very 

 unusual. JMarcgrave saw it in Brazil as early as 1648. Sagra and Poey 

 mention tluit it has been seen about Cuba, and Schomburgli includes it 

 in his Barbados list. The specimen in tlie United States Xational 

 Museum was taken oft" Newport, E. L, in 1872, and given to Professor 

 Baird by Mr. Samuel Powell, of New])ort. No others were observed in 

 our waters until March, 1878, when, according to Mr. Neyle Habersham, 

 of Savannah, Ga., two were taken by a vessel between Savannah and 

 Indian Eiver, Florida, and were brought to Savannah, where they at- 

 tracted much attention in the market. In 1873, according to Mr. E. G. 

 Blackford, a specimen in a very mutilated condition was brought from 

 Key AVest to New York City. 



Description of the subfamily Xiphiin^ and the genus Xiphias. 



Subfamily XIPHIIN^, Swainson. 



yXiphyum, SwAixsoN, Nat. Hist. Fish. Ainphib. &c. 1839, p. 239. 

 ^Xiphciui, BoxAPARTE, Cat. Metod. Pesci Europci, 1846, p. 80. 

 Xiplmnce, Gill, Canadian Naturalist, 18t57, p. 250. 



* Isis, 1833, Heft iv, pp. 415-419. 



t The specimens in the Britisli Museum are catalogued as follows : 

 a. Eight feet long ; stuffed. Indian Ocean. Type of the species. 

 i. Seven feet long ; stuffed. Cape of Good Hope. 



c. Dorsal fin. N. S. Wales (f). Presented by Dr. G. Bennett. 



d. Snout; dried. 



