364 PISCES (OSSEI) ACANTHOPT. [XIPHIAS. 



on the Cornish coast. According to Stewart*, it has been also taken, 

 though rarely, in the Frith of Forth ; and, according to Dr. Scoulert, in 

 the Frith of Clyde. In the two last instances, however, it is doubtful 

 whether the present species be intended, or the Pelamys Sarda of 

 Cuvier$, to which also the name of Bonito has been applied. This 

 last is found principally in the Mediterranean, and is characterized by 

 a variable number of obliquely transverse bands extending from the top 

 of the back to a little below the lateral line. The species here described 

 inhabits the Ocean, and is particularly distinguished by four longitudinal 

 bands on each side of the abdomen: the teeth are also much weaker than 

 in the Pelamys Sarda. 



GEN. 15. XIPHIAS, Linn. 

 38. X. Gladius, Linn. (Common Sword-Fish.) 



X. Gladius, Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 432. Block, Ichth. pi. 76. 

 Flem. Brit. An. p. 220. Cuv. Reg. An. torn. n. p. 201. Cuv. 

 et Vol. Poiss. torn. vin. p. 187. pis. 225, & 226. X. Rondeletii, 

 Leach in Wern. Mem. vol. n. p. 58. pi. 2. f. 1. Leach, Zool. 

 Misc. vol. i. p. 62. pi. 27. Sword-Fish, Will. Hist. Pise. p. 161. 

 tab. I. 27. f. 2. Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. HI. p. 160. pi. 26. Id. 

 (Edit. 1812.) vol. in. p. 216. pi. 30. Knox in Edinb. Journ. of 

 Nat. and Geog. Sci. vol. n. p. 427. Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 143. 



LENGTH. From ten to fifteen feet ; sometimes more. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Body elongated, nearly round posteriorly, a little 

 compressed in front: depth increasing with the age from one-tenth to 

 one-sixth of the entire length, reckoning this last from the end of the 

 sword to the extremity of the lobes of the tail: sword three-tenths: upper 

 part of the cranium flat or slightly convex ; profile falling gently ; sides 

 of the head vertical : eye round ; its diameter nearly two-thirds of the 

 breadth of the cranium above it : sword terminating in a sharp point ; 

 the edges cutting, and finely denticulated: lower jaw likewise pointed, 

 extending to where the upper surface of the sword becomes horizontal : 

 no teeth in either of the jaws : pharyngeans only with fine teeth like shorn 

 velvet: no true tongue: gill-opening large; the branchiostegous mem- 

 brane with seven rays : pectorals inserted very low down, sickle-shaped, 

 one-seventh of the entire length, this last being reckoned as before : ven- 

 trals none : dorsal commencing above the gill-opening, and extending in 

 young subjects to within a short distance of the caudal; its anterior por- 

 tion very much elevated and pointed ; rays rapidly decreasing from the 

 fifth to the eleventh, continuing low beyond that point to the thirty-ninth 

 or fortieth; last three or four again elevated: all the intermediate or low 

 portion of the fin extremely delicate, and with the rays more slender than 

 those at the two extremities ; in adult individuals often found very much 

 torn, or even entirely destroyed, causing the two elevated ends which 

 are left to appear like two distinct fins : anal somewhat similar in shape 

 to the dorsal, but much shorter, only commencing in a line with its last 

 third portion: caudal crescent-shaped: 



B. 7; D. 3/40; A. 2/15; C. 17 ; P. 16: 



* mem. of Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 363. 



t London's Maq. of Nat. Hist. vol. vi. p. 529. 



j Cuv. et Vol. Hist. Nat. des Poist. torn. vin. p. 108. pi. 217. 



