XIPHIID^E. 145 



witnessed a fight between a whale and a fish, which was stated to be a thrasher 

 shark* assisted by a swordfish. He distinctly saw its elongated sword-like 

 snout glancing in the light after it had made a plunge at the whale and missed 

 its mark. 



Dr. Jerome Smith, in bis History of the Fishes of Massachusetts, states 

 that on a calm sunny day during the previous summer (1832), as a pilot was 

 leisurely rowing his little skiff, he was suddenly roused from bis seat by the 

 plunge of a swordfisb, thrusting its long spear, more than 3 feet through 

 the bottom of his slender bark ; but the pilot broke it off with the butt of his 

 oar before the submarine assassin had time to withdraw it. Irrespective of 

 using this organ to obtain food, it is evidently occasionally employed when 

 fighting with its enemies. 



Lastly, I may advert to the case of the ship " Dreadnought," which in 1868, 

 while on her voyage from Ceylon to London, suddenly sprung a leak, and, on 

 an examination being made, a round hole, about 1 inch in diameter, was found in 

 the copper sheathing of the vessel. Those who had insured the ship claimed 

 £3000 on the ground that the injury had been inflicted by one of these fish, 

 while the insurance company contended that some other cause had been at work. 

 After a protracted trial the jury returned as a verdict that the damage had been 

 caused " by contact with some substance other than water, and that probably it 

 was caused by a swordfish." In the Field for May 14th, 1881, it is recorded 

 that the Liverpool barque " Junak " had been injured by one of these fishes, and 

 that a distinct shock was believed to have been felt at the time of the blow. 



Although the Histiophorus is taken off the Madras coast in large seine 

 nets, such a mode is not found successful in the Mediterranean, where the Xiphias 

 has a more cutting edge to its sword, while the method of capture appears to 

 have remained unchanged for centuries. A man ascends one of the cliffs which 

 overhang the sea, and as soon as he spies the fish, gives notice, either by his 

 voice or by signs as to the course it has taken. Another individual in a boat 

 climbs the mast, and on seeing the fish directs the rowers to it. As soon as he 

 considers that they have got within reach, he descends, and taking in his hand 

 a harpoon to which a cord is attached, strikes it into the fish, sometimes from a 

 considerable distance. After struggling for some time the exhausted animal is 

 dragged into the boat, the whole process somewhat resembling a whale fishery on 

 a miniature scale. 



Genus I. — Xiphias, Artedi. 



Machccra, Cuvier. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchim well developed. Body elongated and 

 somewhat compressed. The upper jaw flattened, sword shaped and {except in the 

 very young) much produced beyond the loiver jaw. No teeth in the jaws, vomer, or 

 palatine bones. Gill-openings wide. Two dorsal fins in adults (one in the young) . 

 No Jinlets. Ventrals absent. Two anal fins in adults (one in the young). Caudal 

 forked. Scales rudimentary : a raised heel along the middle of the side of the tail. 

 Air-bladder present. Pyloric appendages many. 



In the young, as when 190 millim. long, the two jaws, observes Liitken, are well 

 armed with comparatively strong teeth. All the body, including the head and 

 the rostrum, is clothed with non-imbricated scales, which are keeled and ciliated 

 — that is to say, furnished with spines or teeth upon the keel. Two rows of these 

 scales, which strike one by their size, extend along the back on each side of the 

 dorsal fin, and two others along the belly on each side of the anal fin. These 

 scales are present in the youngest Xiphias, whereas they are absent from 

 Histiophorus. Young examples of Xiphias have transverse bands of colour. 



* See Alopecias wipes for farther remarks on this question. 



10 



