410 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS [voL. 48 
entertained at the disposition of European ichthyologists to ignore 
the genus. The habits must be a reflex of the differences of 
structure. 
As the Astroscopes lack the peculiar linguiform extension of the 
mandibular valve and as the branchial apertures are roofed over by 
membrane, some of the most characteristic movements of the Euro- 
pean stargazers cannot be exercised by the American. Little, how- 
ever, is known of the habits of any Astroscope. Dr. Hugh M. Smith 
has made some observations of the common eastern coast species 
which he has kindly communicated for the present article. 
“The stargazer has frequently been kept in the aquarium of the 
Bureau of Fisheries in Washington. The specimens have come 
from the lower Chesapeake in September, and have usually re- 
mained alive and in good condition until the following spring. The 
attendants report that the fish can invariably be found in fall at 
Old Point Comfort and Willoughby Spit, buried in the sand along 
the line of surf. The species is known to the fishermen of that 
region as ‘sand toad.* The collector for the aquarium states that 
on several occasions, while wading in the surf with a scoop-net in 
hand, he has come upon stargazers which in their fright leaped out 
on the beach instead of into the deeper water. The species is 
tender and difficult to transport, but is fairly hardy in the aquarium. 
The normal attitude assumed by the fish in the aquarium is com- 
plete self-burial in the sand with the exception of the minute eyes, 
which are so inconspicuous as to be easily overlooked, so that a 
tank may contain half a dozen full grown stargazers without a 
casual observer being aware of the fact. 
“The fish prefers live minnows as food, and catches them with 
great dexterity. When a minnow comes within range, the Astro- 
scopus emerges from the sand like a flash, seizes and swallows its 
prey, settles back in the sand, and conceals itself by a wriggling 
motion of its body and a fanning of its pectoral fins, the entire act 
occupying but a few seconds. The elevation of its body resembles 
the action of a flounder in seizing food, and the tail may remain 
on the bottom. Dead fish and chopped meat are eaten in the absence 
of live food. I have made no observations on the electric organ in 
this species, and the aquarium attendants are not aware of its 
existence. The fishermen of Beaufort, however, have learned of its 
presence and call the fish electric toad.” 
The reference to the “electric organ” of the Astroscope was 
evoked by the observations of Dr. J. A. Henshall and Professor C. 
*In parts of North Carolina the Astroscope is called electric toad, accord- 
ing to Mr. Barton Bean as well as Dr. Smith. 
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