THE ARCHER FISH. 



245 



All these fish are notable for the strange fashion of their coloring, and the present 

 species affords a. good example of the infinite variety with which the inhabitants of 

 the warmer seas are tinted. There are no brilliant colors in this fish, the striking 

 effects being produced by the bold contrasts of black and white, toned down with a 

 little blue. The ground color of the body is jetty black, upon which are drawn a 

 number of curved concentric lines, alternately pure white and pale blue, the blue lines 

 being narrower than the white. The tail fin is also black, and is marked with cross 

 lines of white. The scales of this species are small, and the spine is smooth. 



Nearly forty species of this genus are now known, all of which possess some remark- 

 able peculiarity in coloring. There is, for example, the RINGED HOLOCANTHUS (Holo- 

 canthus annularis), where the shoulder is decorated with a blue ring, and the body is 

 marked with six or seven arched blue stripes, all radiating from the base of the pectoral 

 fin. The SPOTTED HOLOCANTH us (Zfofotf ///////.$ nuiculostts^h&s a number of black semi- 

 lunar spots on the fore part of the body ; the CILIATED HOLOCAXTHUS (Holocanthus cili- 

 aris), is marked with an azure ring on the nape of the neck and a number of blue 

 spots and streaks about the head ; the EMPEROR HOLOCANTHUS( Holocanthus Imperator) 

 has a number of blue lines upon the head, chest, and anal fin, a large black spot on 



SEMILL'NAR HOLOCANTHUS. Holocanthus semlclrcutatua. 



the shoulder, and the body decorated with many waved orange-colored streaks ; and 

 lastly the ARCHED HOLOCANTHUS (Holocanthus arcuatus), though not so brightly clad, 

 is quite as striking a species as any that has been mentioned, simply on account of 

 the single arched stripe that is drawn along the body, from the eye to the end of the 

 dorsal fin, taking a slight upward curve like a bent bow. 



It is said of one of the species, LAMARCK'S HOLOCANTHUS (Holocanthus Lamarckit), 

 that the attachment between the sexes is very strongly developed, and that if one individ- 

 ual be captured, its mate will haunt the fatal spot and even fling itself ashore or into 

 the net in the eagerness of its search. 



OF another group or sub-family of the scale-fin ned fishes, the ARCHER FISH is a 

 good example. 



This curious species is a native of the East Indian and Polynesian seas, and pos- 

 sesses the power of shooting water at its prey with even more force than the beaked 



