'HOUND-SNOUTED SWORDFISH, 105 



sharpish prominences or bony tubercles. This fish 

 was cast on the isle of Rhe, near Rochelle in France. 

 Its length was 330 French centimetres, and its 

 weight 365 kilogrammes : its colour was blackish : 

 it was eaten by many of the inhabitants of Rochelle, 

 and was found to be tolerable food, though some- 

 what dry : the flesh was white : on inspecting the 

 mouth it Was observed that the palate was ex- 

 tremely rough. 



It is probable, as the Count de Cepede observes, 

 that this species has hitherto been confounded with 

 the common Swordfish, and that it is an inhabitant 

 of the same seas. 



ROUND-SNOUTED SWORDFISH. 



DESCRIBED by Cepede from the sword or snout, 

 preserved, with the fore-part of the head, in the 

 Paris Museum. It differs from the snout of the 

 common Swordfish in being convex abpve, instead 

 of flattish, as in that species, and in having the sides 

 perfectly rounded or incapable of cutting : it is also 

 nearly cylindric in its shape, whereas that of the 

 common Swordfish is much depressed: it has 

 three longitudinal furrows above, and one beneath: 

 (the Count de Cepede however seems mistaken in, 

 supposing that there are no furrows on that of the 

 common Swordfish, though they are differently 

 placed from those of the present) : the .skin with 



