SOME COASTWISE FISHES, 



125 



the female, are cared for. The pipe-fishes are 

 rather slow in their movements, and can be readily 

 picked up by the hand or net ; they are 

 frequently stranded. 



Of comparative rarity with us, al- 

 though more abundant in the southern 

 waters, is the tobacco-pipe fish {Fistvlaria 

 tabaccand), which can be immediately 

 distinguished from the pipe-fish proper 

 by its generally flexible body, its greatly 

 elongated beak, and the singular lash-like 

 tail. 



A widely diflrering form, but yet char- 

 acterized by a prominent beak, is the half- 

 bill (Hemiramphus), 

 so called fi-om the 

 unequal development 

 of the two jaws, the 

 lower one alone being 

 specially elongated. 

 Here also belong the 

 gar-fishes or thread- 

 fishes (Belone). 



The two remain- 

 ing forms with which 

 we close our sketch 

 of some of the more 

 striking of the l^ew 

 Jersey coast fishes 

 are known as puffers, from the habit they have of 

 inflating their bodies by rapid inspirations, whether 

 of air or of water. The swell-toad or 



11* 



Sea-hobse. 



Pipe-fish. 



egg-fish 



