xxiii ACANTHOPTERYGII 705 



ranean, and West Africa north of the Equator. A fossil species 

 has been described from the Upper ]\Iiocene of Croatia. The 

 two British species, T. draco and T. vipera, are well known for 

 the painful wounds which they are able to inflict through their 

 sharp, grooved dorsal and opercular spines, which convey a very 

 active poisonous fluid secreted by small glands at their base. As 

 these fish like to bury themselves partially in the sands in shallow 

 water, people bathing occasionally tread on them with, as a rule, 

 at least violent pain as a result.'- The flesh is not bad eating, 

 and great numbers of the larger species {T. draco), are brought 

 to the Paris market. 



Fam. 2. Percophiidae. — Perco^/us, with a single species from 

 the coast of Brazil, differs from the Trachinidae in the scapular 

 fenestra being situated entirely in the scapula, in the ventral 

 fins being rather widely separated at the base, and in the 

 quincuncial disposition of the scales. Vertebrae, 57 (22 + 35). 

 Bleekeria and Enibolichthys, from the Indian and Japanese seas, 

 with the ventral fins rudimentary or absent, which have been 

 placed in the Ammodytidae, appear to be related to Percophis. 



Fam. 3. Leptoscopidae. — Differ from the preceding in the 

 absence of a subocular shelf. Scapular fenestra either in the 

 scapula or between the scapula and the coracoid. Mostly Marine 

 Pishes, various in form, from the tropics to the Antarctic circle, 

 some occurring at great depths. About 2 5 species, referable to 7 

 genera : Zeptoscojms, Farapercis, JVeopercis, Pteropsaron, Bemirops, 

 Pleuragramma, Chimarrhichthys. The latter, from New Zealand, 

 is the only freshwater form of the family, and is remarkably 

 adapted for living in alpine torrents. Pleuragramma antarcticum, 

 brought home by the Southern Cross Expedition, comes from 

 78° 35' S. lat., the farthest point at which fishes have yet been 

 obtained in the Antarctic region. Macrius amissus, from the 

 Pacific Ocean at a depth of 1000 fathoms, which, judging from 

 a very imperfect description, probably belongs to this family, 

 measures 5 feet, and is the largest known deep-sea Teleostean. 



Fam. 4. Nototheniidae. — Also closely allied to the Trachin- 

 idae. No subocular shelf ; a single nostril on each side ; ventrals 



1 Cf. Allman, Ann. Mag. Nat. Sist. vi. 1841, p. 161 ; Schmidt, Nord. Med. Ark. 

 vi. No. 2, 1875 ; Gressin, Contribution a Vitude de Va'pfareil a venin chez Us Poissons 

 dugenre'vive (Paris, 1884, 8vo) ; W. N. Parker, F.Z.S. 1888, p. 359 ; Phisalix, 

 Bull. Mus. Paris, 1899, p. 256. 



VOL. VII 2 Z 



