TKICHIURID^. 433 



cannot be captured by the natives, who are in great fear of 

 them. They easily pierce their canoes, and only too often 

 dangerously wound persons sitting in them. 



The Mediterranean Sword-fish is constantly caught in the 

 nets of the Tunny-fishers off the coast of Sicily, and brought 

 to market, where its flesh sells as well as that of the Tunny. 



The remarkable changes which Sword-fishes undergo at 

 an early stage of their growth have been noticed above, p. 

 173 and scq. 



Sword-fishes are as old a type as the Berycoids. Their 

 remains have been found in the chalk of Lewes, and more 

 frequently in the London clay of Sheppy, where an extinct 

 genus, CoelorhyncluLS, has been recognised. 



Seventh Division — Acanthopterygii Trichiupjformes. 



Body elongate, com^oressed or handAike ; cleft of the mouth 

 wide, ivith several strong teeth in the jaws or on the palate. The 

 spinous and soft piortions of the dorsal fin and the anal arc of 

 nearly equal extent, long, many-rayed, sometimes terminating in 

 Unlets; caudal fin forked, if present. 



Family — Trichiurid^. 



Marine fishes inhabiting the tropical and sub-tropical seas ; 

 some of them are surface-fishes, living in the vicinity of the 

 coast, whilst others descend to moderate depths, as the Bery- 

 coids. All are powerful rapacious fishes, as is indicated by 

 their dentition. 



The oldest of the extinct genera are Enchodus and Anen- 

 chelum ; they were formerly referred to the Scombroids, but 

 belong to this family. The former has been found in the 

 chalk of Lewes and Mcestricht ; the latter is abundant in the 

 Eocene schists of Glaris. Anenchelum is much elongate, and 

 exhibits in the slender structure of its bones the character- 



2f 



