364 



HIPPOCAMPUS. 



The body is compressed at the sides, and elevated much more than 

 the portion behind the dorsal fin, which portion becomes gradually more 

 slender to the end. The joinings of the scales are raised into ridges, 

 of which the angles both of the head and body are raised into spines. 

 Mouth and snout before the eyes, as in others of this family; both 

 sexes have pectoral fins, the females only have an anal, and there is 

 no caudal fin. After death the head from behind the pectoral becomes 

 permanently bent at an angle with the body; which from its resem- 

 blance to the head of a horse, has given occasion to a name of these 

 fishes. The males have a pouch for hatching the young. 



HIPPOCAMPUS. 



Sea Horse, Short-nosed Hippocampus, Willoughby ; p. 157, 



Table I 25, f. 4. 



Syngnathus lupp>ocampus, Linn.eus. 



Hippocampus brevirostris, Cuvier. Yarrell; British 



Fishes, vol. ii, p. 452. 



This curiously-shaped little fish is common in the Mediter- 

 ranean, but becomes more rare south of this, and to the north, 

 although it has been obtained at several stations on the south 

 coast of England and in Ireland; and as it scarcely appears 

 capable of a long voyage, we are led to the conclusion that it 

 must have been bred not far from where it has been obtained. 

 We are informed that it has been met with at Yarmouth, in 

 Hampshire; and Mr. Martin, of Weymouth, informs me that he 

 has frequently taken them in a shrimp-trawl along the Sandwich 

 Hats in Kent. I have heard of one that was taken in the 

 Tamar; and in Ireland, on the authority of Mr. Thompson, it 

 has been taken in Dublin Bay, at Belfast, the county of 

 Antrim, at Youghal and Smerwick Harbour, on the coast of 

 Kerry. Mr. Lukis has given an interesting account of the 

 habits of a couple which he obtained in Guernsey, and kept 

 alive for a considerable time. 



