[29] MATERIALS FOR A HISTORY OF THE SWORD-FISHES. 317 
(4) On the equator, long. 29° (about 500 miles NE. of Cape St. Roque). 
(5) Lat. 25° 4’ 8., long. 27° 26’ W. (about 500 miles S. of the Island 
of Trinidad, South Atlantic). 
17.—_OCCURRENCE IN THE PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEANS. 
We have no record of the occurrence of Sword-fishes on the eastern 
coast of South America, but the species is found on the Pacific coast of 
the same continent, and north to California. 
Professor Jordan writes: ‘Occasionally seen about Santa Catalina 
and the Coronados, but never taken, the fishermen having no suitable 
tackle. One seen by us off Santa Monica, in 1880, about eight feet in 
length.” . 
Mr. Willard Nye, of New Bedford, Mass., kindly communicates the 
following notes: Captain Dyer, of this port, says that Sword-fish are 
plentiful off the Peruvian coast, a number being often in sight at one 
time. The largest he ever saw was one caught by himself about 150 
miles from the shore, and which he estimates to have weighed 900 to 
1,000 pounds; the ship’s crew subsisted on it for several days and then 
salted 400 pounds. 
Captain’ Allen aiso states that while cruising in the Pacific for whales 
he has found the Sword-fish very abundant on the coasts of Peru and 
Chili, from the immediate coast 300 miles out, though outside of that 
limit they are seldom seen. They are most plenty during the month of 
January, when they are feeding on the common mackerel, with which 
those waters at that time abound. The largest he ever caught weighed 
about 600 pounds. 
Both Captain Allen and Captain Dyer have made several voyages as 
masters of whaling ships, and are perfectly familiar witlr Sword-fish on 
our coast; both speak of seeing plenty of Bill-fish in the Pacific, but 
they never had taken the trouble to catch them. Giinther mentions 
them in his book on the Fishes of the South Sea. 
In 1874 Dr. Hector discovered a Sword-fish snout in the museum at 
Auckland, New Zealand, and his announcement of the discovery was 
followed by the publication of two other instances of its occurrence in 
this region.* 
18.—SworD-FISH ENTERING RIVERS. 
Sword-fish have been known to enter the rivers of Europe. We have 
no record of such a habit in those frequenting our waters.t 
*Hector, Trans. New Zealand Inst. vii, (1874) 1875, p. 246. 
Hutton, ibid. viii, (1875) 1876, p. 211. 
Cheeseman, ibid. p. 219. 
tThey sometimes approach very near the shore, however, as is shown by the fol- 
lowing extract from a Cape Cod paper: 
“A Swordfish in close quarters.—Monday afternoon, while Mr. A. McKenzie, the boat- 
builder on J.S. Atwood’s wharf, was busily at work, his attention was attracted by a 
splashing of water under his work-shop, as if a score of boys were swimming and 
