306 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [18] 
out ever having seen them is very disastrous to a proper understanding 
of the problems of geographical distribution. 
The materials in the National Museum consist of a skeleton and a 
painted plaster cast of the specimen taken near Newport, R. 1, 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. Marcgrave saw it in Brazil as early as 1648. De la Sagra and 
Poey mention that it has been seen about Cuba, and Schomburgh includes 
it in his Barbados list. The specimen in the United States National Mu- 
seum was taken off Newport, R. I., in August, 1872, and given to Pro- 
fessor Baird by Mr. Samuel Powell, of Newport. No others were ob- 
served 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 River, Florida, and were brought to Savannah, 
where they attracted much attention in the market. In 1873, according 
to Mr. E. G. Blackford, a specimen in a very mutilated condition was 
brought from Key West to New York City. 
12.—AN ENUMERATION OF THE SPECIES OF THE SWORD-FISH FAMILY. 
1. XIPHIAS GLADIUS, Linn. 
The synonymy of this species, with discussions of all the facts regard- 
ing it which have come within my observation, are given elsewhere in 
this paper. Professor Liitken, in recently published papers, has ex- 
pressed the opinion that the genus Aiphias cannot be regai¥fed, as has 
hitherto been customary, as the central type of the family Xiphiide, but 
rather as a divergent or aberrant form, while the round-billed Sword- 
fish provided with ventral nus are most typical and representative of 
the group.* 
2. TETRAPTURUS IMPERATOR (Schneider). 
Niphias imperator, SCHNEIDER, Bloch’s Syst. Ichth. 1801, p. 93, pl. xxi (poor 
figure), founded on Duhamel, iii, p. 333, pl. xxvi, fig. 2. 
Tetrapturus belone, RAVINESQUE, Caratteri Animali e Pianti della Sicilia, 1810, 
p. 54, pl. i, fig. 1.—Cuvirer, Regne Animal, 2d ed. 1829, ii, p.201.—CuUVIER 
& VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii, 1831, p. 280, pls. cexxvii (skeleton), 
cexxviii (adult fish).—BdNaparte, Catologo Metodico, 1846, p. 80. 
Tetrapterus belone, AGASSIZ, Poissons Fossiles, 1843, v, p. 89, tab. E. (fine 
figure of skeleton). 
Tetrapierurus belone, BONAPARTE. 
Histiophorus belone, GUNTHER, Cat. Fish Brit. Mus. ii, 1860, p. 518. 
Skeponopodus typus, NARDO, Isis, 1833, Heft iv, p. 417 (Adriatic). 
This species appears to be limited to the waters of the Mediterranean. 
It was not noticed by Linneus, or indeed by any of the binomial writers 
before Schneider. In his posthumous edition of the writings of Bloch, 
the latter has made reference to a figure and description in Duhamel, 
*1875. LUTKEN, CHR. 
Om rundnebides Svaerdfiske, saerligt om Histiophorus orientalis, Schl. < Vidensk. 
Meddel. Natuvhut. Foren. Kjébenhavu, 1875, pp. 1-21 + 1-5, 
