ACANTHOPTERYGII. 119 



hues, whence they are called Parrot-fishes. One 

 species (S. Creticus) was so highly esteemed by the 

 ancients, that the commander of a Roman fleet went 

 to Greece, expressly to procure it alive, that he 

 might distribute it in the Italian seas. 



FAM. XV. FISTULARIAD^E. 



The bones of the skull are lengthened in this 

 family into a long and slender tube, at the end of 

 which is placed the mouth, composed of the usual 

 bones ; the ribs are either very short, or else entirely 

 wanting. 



Fistularia,* the Pipe-fish. 



The name of this first genus, is obviously derived 

 from the peculiarity already mentioned, as distin- 

 guishing the family. The body is long and slender, 

 the dorsals two, the first with spines; from the 

 centre of the tail fin proceeds a very long filament ; 

 the air-bladder very small, and the scales impercept- 

 ible. They inhabit the seas of Tropical regions, 

 feeding on small crustaceous animals. The Bellows- 

 Fish (Centriscus Scolopax}^ sometimes taken on the 

 British coast, belongs to this family. It is distin- 

 guished from the Pipe-fishes, by the body being 

 shorter and oblong, the belly coming to an edge ; 



* Fistula, a pipe or flute. 



t KEVT^OV, kentron, a spur; scolopax, a snipe, from the beak-like mouth. 



