192 VERTEBRATA. PISCES. 



taken on our southern coast, where it is dreaded 

 as venomous, though this appears to be groundless. 

 " The manner in which it defends itself shows its 

 consciousness of the formidable weapon it carries 

 on its tail. When seized or terrified, its habit is 

 to twist its long, slender, and flexible tail round 

 the object of attack, and with the serrated spine 

 tear the surface, lacerating it in a manner calcu- 

 lated to produce violent inflammation. Other au- 

 thors state that it is capable of striking its weapon 

 with the swiftness of an arrow into its prey or its 

 enemy, when with its winding tail it secures its 

 capture."* 



Cephaloptera.-^ 



A gigantic and formidable genus, remarkable for 

 the pectorals, instead of enclosing the head, pro- 

 jecting forwards into two curved points like horns. 

 The pectorals are of great width, and the form is 

 much wider than long ; the tail is, however, long 

 and slender, furnished with a small dorsal at its 

 base, and a serrated spine immediately behind it. 

 Colonel Hamilton Smith witnessed the destruction 

 of a soldier by one of these gigantic creatures, off* 

 Trinidad. It was supposed that the soldier, being 

 a good swimmer, was attempting to desert from 

 the ship. The circumstance occurred soon after 

 daylight; and the man being alarmed by the call 



* Yarrell, Br. Fish. ii. 443. 



-j- KiipaXw, kephale, the head, and fri^ov, pteron, a wing. 



