261 LOPHOBRANCHII. 



rendering tlie shields indistinct. Colours — olive-brown, with white lines and 

 dots across the lower portion of the head and body. 



Jenyns doubted whether Syngnathus pelagicus, Donovan, is anything more 

 than the young of 8. acus. 



Habits. — It frequents rocky pools under stones and seaweed, and lurks 

 between tide-marks. Couch considered that it is unable to raise itself off the 

 ground where it creeps about with a serpentine motion, and there is no proof 

 it ever goes deeper than low water-mark. Thompson observes, " this and 8. acus 

 are by far the most common, indeed they are the only species to which the term 

 common can be applied on the Irish coast. 8. Iwmbriciformis seems to be the most 

 littoral species, which may perhaps account for my having seen even more of it 

 than of 8. acus." Dr. Corrigan is said to have been the first who observed that 

 this fish has the power of inflating its pouch or gullet, and this appears analogous 

 to the vesicular inflation exercised by the hyoid bone in the howling monkeys, 

 which communicates with the larynx and produces the sound which gives the 

 appellation to the animal (Andrews, Zool. 1860, xviii, p. 7053). 



Breeding. — At Swansea, in 1849, Mr. Moggridge found the pouch empty 

 May 14th, but full June 10th (An. Nat. Hist. (2) iii, 1849). 



Life history. — Fries, in 1837, remarked that the young on their escape from the 

 egg have the entire tail covered by a fin-like membrane, which extends partly 

 up the back and also along the .under surface as far as the anal aperture : they 

 have also pectoral fins. Except the portion required to form the permanent dorsal 

 fin, all this at a subsequent unknown period is thrown off in a way similar to 

 the rejection of their tails by tadpoles on becoming frogs. 



Halitat. — German coasts of the North Sea. Orkneys and Shetland common 

 (Baikie) : also along the east coast of Scotland, and often taken by a hand-net 

 among seaweeds bordering pools and rooks (Mcintosh) : along the south coast 

 of England at Weymouth common (Gosse) : in Cornwall common under stones 

 near low water-mark : has been recorded from Swansea (Dillwyn). 



Ireland. — On all sides of the island. 



This fish attains to 9 inches in length (Jenyns). 



