FISHES. 267 



THE SEA-DRAGON. 



(Pegasus, N. Sp. ?) 



Rays of the pectoral fin 10. Dorsal 5. Anal 5. 

 Ventral 1. (a long white filament.) 



Length one inch ; entire fish encased in a crustaceous 

 armour ; ridges, armed with reflexed spines, on the 

 trunk and summit of the head; mouth small; jaws 

 retractile ; a straight beak, or rostrum, of square form, 

 and armed at its angles with spines, protrudes from 

 the upper jaw ; tail quadrangular, and furnished with 

 six rows of spines. 



Colour brick-red, with black markings ; membrane of 

 the pectoral fins barred transversely with black; ab- 

 domen silvery white ; iris yellow. 



Taken in vast numbers, swimming near the surface 

 of the sea, in lat. 27<> N., long. 170 W. 



ORDER, APODES. 

 THE GLASS-EEL, or SMALL-HEAD. 



(Leptocephalus, Sp.) 



This is one of the most extraordinary and paradoxical 

 fishes the ocean affords. In its external appearance, 

 indeed, there is nothing but the perfect form and struc- 

 ture of its head that gives it any title to rank with so 

 high a grade of the animal kingdom as it really oc- 

 cupies. 



The head is narrow and disproportionately small ; the 

 jaws long, pointed, and provided with sharp teeth ; 

 eyes large and conspicuously bright; iris silvery; 



