FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 167 



HIPPOCAMPUS. Cuv. 



Generic characters. The jaws united and tubular, like 

 those of the Syngnathi ; mouth placed at the end ; body com- 

 pressed, short, and deep ; the whole length of the body and tail 

 divided by longitudinal and transverse ridges, with tubercular 

 points at the angles of intersection ; both sexes have pectoral 

 and dorsal fins ; females only have an anal fin ; neither sex 

 has ventral or caudal fins. 



H. brevirostris. Cuv. The short-nosed Sea-horse. 



Trans. Lit. et Philosoph. Soc. N. Y. vol. i. p. 475. 

 YarrelPs British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 342, et fig. 



A single line is devoted to the description of this species by 

 Mitchell in his " Fishes of New YorAr." The only native 

 specimen 1 have seen, was received in a dried state from my 

 friend Dr. Yale, who found it on the shore at Holmes Hole. 

 He says he " never knew one to be taken alive, yet they are 

 frequently found on the shore." From this female specimen, 

 I have drawn up the following description : 



Color, yellowish brown ; entire length five inches. Length 

 of the head, one inch ; snout, three lines long j diameter of 

 the eye, half a line. Operculum covered with striae radiating 

 from the anterior part ; a short spine, at the base of the snout 

 in front of the eye ; directly above each eye, a larger spine ; at 

 the posterior angle of the eye, a very short spine ; beneath the 

 eye, on the neck, two small spines. Body heptangular ; on each 

 side, three rows of prominent spines ; on the under side, a sin- 

 gle row. Tail quadrangular, gradually tapering towards the 

 extremity. The body is divided into eleven segments, bound- 

 ed by horny projections ; greatest width of the body, seven 

 lines. At the origin of the tail, the body presents a slight pro- 

 jection, for the length of three segments, upon which is situated 

 the dorsal fin. Tail divided into thirty-six segments ; at the 

 base, two lines in width ; at the extremity a mere point. 



The Dorsal fin has twenty rays. 



The Pectorals, directly back of the operculum, contain 

 fourteen rays. 



