THE AUSTlfALFAX .MISEUM .MAGAZINE. 



S3 



their front tins, with the head raised, skin into tlie nniiute blood vessels with 

 bearing a pair of gog-gle eyes, which which the tail fln is plentifully sup- 

 seem to protrude from their orbits. The plied. 



front fins, which are bent at an angle The ground around tiie roots of the 



like an elbow-joint, are used for hop- mangrove trees is generally well rid- 



ping over the mud flats or for climbing dle<l with crab holes, which serve as 



about on the roots of the mangroves. letreats for the calling or fiddler cral)S. 



Since the fisli spends a considerable These crabs are remarkable for tlie 



The goggle-eyed mangrove fish (Periopthalmus KieJ'-eiiteri icA", witlx 

 its tail in the water and the head and trunk exposed. 



Photo — A. R. McCulIoch. 



amount of time out of water, its gills 

 are probably of very little use to it, 

 and the tail then acts as a breathing 

 organ. The mangrove fish rests with 

 its tail in the water with the head and 

 trunk exposed; under these circum- 

 stances the flsli is able to breathe 

 through its tail, the oxygen dissolved in 

 the sea water passing through the thin 



enormous size of one of tiie hands, 

 generally the rigiit, in the male, which 

 may actually exceed in size the rest of 

 the body. It is not known what pur- 

 pose this organ serves, but it is sup- 

 posed that the male stojis up the mouth 

 of the burrow with it when he and the 

 female are safely inside. It is also used 

 as a Aveapon in combats witli other 



