PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Lxi. 



freedom. Zoarces viviparus belonging to the Blenny family is an 

 instance. Among the Teleostei Lophobranchii have a pouch on 

 the lower side of the tail of the male upon whom devolves the 

 care of their young. Instances of the females taking care of their 

 progeny are extremely scarce in fishes, the living Aspredo and 

 Solenostoma do so, whose precursor Sdenorhynchutis found in the 

 Eocene of Monte Postale. 



Among the Teleostei are the Sword-fishes, pelagic, occurring 

 in all tropical and sub-tropical seas. The upper jaw is produced 

 into a long cuneiform weapon, they are endowed with extra- 

 ordinary strength and velocity, and are rarely captured. They 

 are the largest of the sub-order, and not exceeded in size by any 

 other Teleostean. Sword-fishes never hesitate to attack Whales 

 and other large Cetaceans, and by repeatedly stabbing them 

 they generally come off victorious. 



Fossil Sword-fishes from the London clay have been referred to 

 the genus Histiophorus, but they may be generically distinct. The 

 Mackerel, the Angler or Sea-Devil, the Millers-thumb, the Goby, 

 the Blenny, the Perch, all of which frequent our coast (as does 

 the Sword-fish*} belong to the Order Acanthopteri. The Cod, 

 the Haddock, Sand-eel or " Launce," the Whiting-pout, and 

 the Pleuronectidae or Flat-fishes belong to the Order Anacanthini. 

 They were unknown before the Eocene Age. The Cod is found 

 between 50 and 70 lat. N. to a depth of 120 fathoms, and not 

 nearer the equator than 40 lat. The deep sea Macruridae 

 with elongated tails, tapering backwards and without a separate 

 caudal fin, known only a few years ago, from a limited number of 

 examples, are found distributed throughout all the seas, occurring 

 in considerable numbers and variety at depths from 120 to 

 2,600 fathoms. The Sand-eels live in large shoals, rising as if 

 with one accord to the surface, or diving to the bottom, where 

 they bury themselves in the sand. The Flat-fish has the 

 head and part of the body unsymmetrically formed. Owing 

 to the absence of an air-bladder they are unable to 

 maintain their bodies in a vertical position, resting and 

 moving on one side only. Both eyes are on the upper- 



