SWOUDFISH. 



143 



AilANTHOPTERYGll. 



scombkrida:. 



THE SWORDFISH. 



Xiphias gladius, Linn«us. Bi-Och, pt. iii. pi. 76. 



,, ,, Cuv. et Vai.enc. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. t. viii. p. 25.'i, pi. 



225-6. 

 „ ,, Swordjish, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 216, pi. 30. 



,, „ „ Flem. Brit. An. p. 220, sp. 169. 



Generic Characters. — Body fusiform, covered with minute scales ; a single 

 elongated dorsal fin ; ventral fins wanting ; tail strongly carinated ; upper jaw 

 elongated, forming a sword; mouth without teeth ; branchiostegous rays 7. 



The Swordfish, inhabiting almost every part of the 

 Mediterranean Sea, was well known to the ancients, and was 

 called by various names, which had reference either to its 

 weapon, its supposed powers, or its imposing appearance. 

 It was first figured by Salvianus. When it issues from the 

 Mediterranean, it appears, like many other species from the 

 same sea, to take a course either north or south, but seldom 

 pursues the same parallel of latitude towards the west. It 

 has been found at Madeira and on the coast of Africa. In 

 the opposite direction, it has been taken on the coasts of 

 Spain and France. Daniel, in his " Rural Sports," states, 

 that " in the Severn, near Worcester, a man bathing was 

 struck, and actually received his death-wound from a Sword- 

 fish. The fish was caught immediately afterwards, so that 



