1>IPE-FISH. HORSE-CATERPILLAR. 251 



coasts of Scotland, where it affords subsistence to seals 

 and other predaceous inhabitants of the deep* In the 

 Greenland seas it resorts to the shores in vast numbers for 

 spawning, about April and May ; at which time its roe is 

 very large, and furnishes a delicious dish to the people of 

 that country. 



THE PIPE-FISH* 



Of this kind there are several species ; the characters 

 of which are, that the nose is long and tubular, that 

 there is no orifice to the gills, that the breathing-aperture 

 is on the hind-part of the head, and that the body is 

 covered with a strong crust. The long pipe-fish, the 

 largest of the genus, is sometimes found measuring two 

 feet from head to tail. The nose is compressed laterally, 

 and reverted at the extremity of the lower mandible. 

 The body at the thickest part does not exceed the size 

 of a swan's quill ; and is hexangular from the extremity 

 of the dorsal fin, and thence to the tail quadrangular. 

 The belly is slightly carinated ; and under the tail is a 

 groove covered by two longitudinal valves, which at the 

 proper season conceal a multitude of small fish. The 

 general colour is an olive brown ; but the sides are marked 

 with a number of bluish lines, pointing from the back to 

 the belly. 



When the fish is dried, it appears as if covered with 

 a number of angular crusts, finely radiated from their 

 centre. 



THE HORSE-CATERPILLAR, OR HIPPOCAMPUS. 



This singular fish, which is found in the Mediterranean, 

 is usually about three inches long, and as thick as the 

 fore-finger. The snout is long and tubular ; and the body 

 has seven sides down to the vent, but afterwards only 

 three or four. Under the belly are two apertures ; one 

 of which serves for an excretory duct, and by the other 

 the female deposits her eggs* Some varieties of this fish 

 have a mane, but in general they are destitute of that 

 M G 



