198 ACAIfTHOPTERTGn. 



Family, XIII— XIPHIID^, Agass. 



Sword-fish. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchias. Byes lateral. Body compressed, the npper jaws (comprising 

 ethmoid, vomer, and premaxillaries) prodnced into a long, sword-shaped process: cleft of month deep. 

 Teeth absent or rudimentary. One or two dorsal fins, without any distinct spinous portion : ventrals when 

 present, thoracic and rudimentary. Scales absent or in the form of rudimentary dermal productions. Air- 

 vessel present. Pyloric appendages, when present, numerous. 



The s-word-fishes are well known to occasionally attack vessels in the Indian Ocean. " The ship, Boyal 

 George of about 600 tons, experienced the dreadfol hnrricane in the Bay of Bengal. So farions was the tempest 

 that in addition to the loss of the maia and mizzen masts the bowsprit was foimd broken off just outside the head of 

 the stem, its diameter was 23 inches : and on looking at the bottom, the snont or horn of an unicorn &h was 

 discovered projecting beyond the surface about 6 inches. A similar fe«t was remarked and the perforated piece of 

 wood presented to the A. S. of Bengal, as noticed in the Proceedings of December 26th, 1833."* In the Indian 

 Daily News (November, 1874), it is observed : " We have been shewn by the commander of the ship Gashmere 

 a piece of the sword of a sword-fish which must have attacked the ship on her course from Bombay to Calcutta. 

 Without any apparent cause the vessel began to make water, and aH attempts to discover the cause were fatfle 

 until, after the removal of a large part of the cargo, the lightened ship rose in the water and the cause was 

 discovered. The ship had been struck by a sword-fish, and the sword had pierced the copper and the timber of 

 the ship, and penetrated some nine or ten inches beyond, breaking off by the copper, probably from the 

 unpossibility of withdrawing it. The sword not merely pierced the ship, but split the plank for a considerable 

 distance on each side of the point of contact. The Gashmere is a new ship, and the timber perfectly sound." 

 See also a paper by Dr. J. E. Gray, (An. and Mag. 1871, viii, pp. 338, 339), " On the injury inflicted on ships by 

 the Broad-finned sword-fish of the Indian Ocean." 



"The young of X^hias, has a very long Belonc-]ike beak ; the supraorbital edge with conical prominences 

 no occipital spine, and with two short pointed teeth at the angle of the preopercle. The young of HistiopTwri^ 

 has the jaws comparatively shorter, the supraorbital edge very finely or not denticulated, a bony spine on each 

 side of the occiput and at the angle of the preopercle." — Gunther, Zool. Record, 1873, p. 110. 

 Sabitat. — Prom the Mediterranean throughout the tropical seas. 



SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



1. Histiophorus. Ventral fins present. Seas between the tropics, also in the Mediterranean. 



2. Xiphias. Destitute of ventral fins. Not as yet been found in the seas of India, 



Genus, 1 — HiSTiOPHOETJS, Lacep. 



Notistium, Herm. : Telrapturus, (Eafin.) Cuv. and Val. : Zcunclurus, Swains. 



Branchiostegals, semen : pseudobramchice. Body elongated. Upper jaw conical, much prolonged, and considerahly 

 longenr than the lower. Mirmte teeth on the jaws and palatines : vernier edentulous. Two dorsal and two anal fini 

 the amtenor of each of which is the longer: ventrals im, the fcrnn of one, two, or mien three rays Scales absent 

 rudimeniary dermal productions may be present. Avr-vessel present. Pyhrio appendages, when pres^, numerous. ' 



■ XT. ^^ ^1^^* °^ S^^ ^?''?^ ^' ™ comparison with that of the body, appears to be much more considerable 

 an the young than in the adult. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. EMiophormgladiAis. D 40-60/7, A. 10/7. Dorsal fin much higher than the body. Dorsal fin 

 covered with bnUiant blue spots. Tropical seas or their vicinity 



dorsalblcSf^tdstTaTdtt^-of'iiS'' ^- ''■''/'• ^^^^ ^^ -c^^ ^^^er th^ the body. Gray, 

 pectoJti^'^Z.'^rifliof^S'^-''/'- D-^fi^-t-^^asaiebody. Gray, dorsal and 



1. Histiophorus gladins. 

 Scomber gladius, Brouss. Mem. Acad. Sc. 1786, p. 464, pi. x; Bloch t 345 

 X-^hias velifer, Bl. Schn. p. 93. 

 Jstiophorus gladius, Lacep. ui, pp. 374, 375. 

 Xiphias ensis, Lacep. ii, p. 296. 



* Proc. As. Soc. of Bengal, It, p. 411. 



