FISHES. 



563 



without ventral fins ; the skin forms under the belly near the base of 

 the tail, in some species, a pouch into which the eggs to be hatched 

 are placed, and which is aftenvards a shelter for the young. Most of 

 the species are strangers to European seas, but some few are found 

 around our coasts. The Pipe-fish, S. aciis (Fig. 370), has the head 

 small, the snout long, nearly cylindrical, slightly raised at the end, 

 and terminating in a verj' small mouth without teeth. The animal is 

 about twenty inches long ; its skin is of a yellowish colour varied 



Fig. 370. — Th2 Pipe-fish (Syngnathus acus). 



with brown. It lives in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, 

 where it is largely used by the fishermen in baiting their hooks. 



The Sea Horse {Hippocampus brei'irosiris) is a small creature 

 about the size of the engraving (Fig. 371); its head has a singular 

 resemblance to that of the horse. The rings which form the integu- 

 ment of the body and tail have a close resemblance to the rings oi 

 some caterpillars. This curious combination of foniis originated the 

 name Hippocampus, from iVTros, /lorsc, Kdfiiros, fish, adopted in very 

 ancient times to designate this creature. It is found in the Atlantic, 

 round the coast of Spain, the south of France, on the coast of 

 Britain, in the Mediterranean, and in the Indian Ocean. Mr. Lukis, 

 who observed two females in captivity, describes their habits as 



K K. 2 



