382 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [94] 
slightly rounded. The first ray of the pectoral is very strong, and 
reaches clear to the extremity of the fin; the last eight are short, and 
make up the subbrachial dilatation. The ventral appears to be, at first 
sight, composed of a single ray, but there are actually five rays, the 
three first being anchylosed together; these fins are received into a ftur- 
row upon the belly, which extends back to the anus. The caudal fin is 
stiff, and its bifurcation is at an angle of 72°, measured from the middle 
of the two cutaneous caudal crests to the tip of the lobes; if the tips 
of the lobes, which bend forward, are ignored, the angle is 80°. At the 
beginning of the tail, above and below, there are slight nicks. The first 
dorsal originates above the preoperculum; the height of its tip, meas- 
ured along its anterior edge, exceeds by one-sixth the height of the 
head, measuring immediately below it. The length of the pectoral is 
one-sixth of the length of the body, measuring the latter from the tip 
of the lower jaw; the first anal 1s much lower than the dorsal. The 
two other vertical fins are small and opposite each other, though the 
second dorsal is slightly farthev back, a little higher in its anterior parts,, 
and a little more emarginate. 
The color is adeep blue above, a little lighter upon the sides, passing 
into white below. ‘The vertical fins are of a deep blue, the second anal 
a little lighter, as is also the outer side of the pectoral. The first dorsal 
has, along the dorsal line, round spots of a deeper color. The eye re- 
volves in every direction in its orbit upon the center which holds it; the 
iris is of a light blue, while the cornea is blackish. 
There are four double gills and an accessory gill; these are cancel- 
lated as in the Sword-fish; the pylorus is placed very high up, and has 
great longitudinal folds; likewise the duodenum, which is swelled, and 
receives, through two openings, the secretions of the compact and 
glandular mass which surrounds it. The intestine is slender, with two 
very short plications, in the course of the second plication embracing 
the spleen; the stomach contains many species of intestinal worms. 
The swimming bladder is cellulous, showing great puffs, which exiend 
far behind the anus. 
Sometimes an atrophied ray is found in the second dorsal on the 
Second anal; this also occurs in Tetrapturus amplus. 
The skull is permeated by cells filled with oil, especially the “eth- 
moid” bone, which has a spongy appearance, and parts of the pre- 
frontals; the anterior sphenoid bone exists. Cuvier could not find this 
in the 7. belone; for my part, I could not find the predorsal. The an- 
terior froutal bone forms the anterior wall of the orbit, but is not visi- 
ble from without. The lower jaw exhibits a peculiar feature, which has 
not been noticed in the Sword-fish nor in 7. belone; it is the single an- 
terior bone which forms the point of the beak; the two mandibular 
bones are joined to this bone, and hold it between themselves by pro- 
jecting denticulations, which call to mind the articulation of the denta- 
ries of the crocodile. 
