THE PIG-NOSED EEL. 313 



as a fish was allowed to fall into the water the Gymnotus would curve itself slightly, 

 seemed to stiffen its muscles, and the victim turned over on its back, struck as if 

 dead by the violence of the shock. 



When full grown, the Electric Eel will attain a length of five or six feet, and is 

 then a truly formidable creature. The body is rounded, and the scales small and 

 barely visible. According to Marcgrave, the native name for this fish is Carapo. 



WE have already seen some examples of fishes where the body is extremely trans- 

 parent, and now come to an entire family where this peculiarity is the chief and most 

 obvious characteristic. 



The skeleton of the Leptocephalidze, or Glass Eels as they are termed, from their 

 Eel-like shape and singular translucency, is very imperfect, merely consisting of cartilage, 



HAIR-TAILED GLASS EEL.-Tllurus trichlurus. 

 PIQ-NOSED GLASS EEL.Hyoprorus Messincasis. 

 ROUND-HEADED GLASS EEL.-Leptocephalus txnla. 



and so slight, that even in the head, where the greatest strength is required, the brain 

 can be seen through the translucent skull in which it lies. Their bodies are always 

 extremely compressed and mostly leaf-like, so transparent that when lying in a vessel 

 containing water they would hardly be noticed, and the lateral line is formed by the 

 intersection of the muscles, as may be seen by reference to the illustration. 



The PIG-NOSED GLASS EEL may be known by the lengthened form of its head and 

 snout, which are far longer in proportion to the dimensions of the fish than in any 

 other member of the family. The generic term Hyoprorus literally signifies swine- 

 beaked, and in former days was applied to a certain kind of galley which had a long 

 and slightly turned-up beak. The sudden height of the body just behind the head is 

 very remarkable, and on close examination, a row of mucous pores will be found along 

 the jaws and on the head. The eyes are not very large, and the general length of the 

 species is between four and five inches. As its specific name imports, it has been 

 taken at Messina. 



