•26 



of tawny white, from chin to base of caudal rays, where it is confluent 

 with a ring of the same color around the extremity of the caudal 

 peduncle; beneath this lateral band a row of brown spots, of irregular 

 size and fifteen in number, three being on the caudal peduncle ; above 

 a similar row, often very obscure. Caudal brown, with broad, median 

 transverse band of yellow ; other fins immaculate. 



When inflated with air, the diameter of the belly is considerably 

 greater than half the entire length of the fish. 



Its habits are doubtless very similar to those of Ghilichthys turgidns 

 (Mitch.) Gill, common on the east coast of North America from Cape 

 Cod to the Antilles, which it much resembles, and which is very likely 

 to occur in the Bermuda waters. 



OSTRACIIML 



OSTEACIUM TBIQUETBUM, Linn. 



Cuckold. 



Ostracion tnangulus, tuberculis, exiguis numeris aculeis carens, Artedi, Gen. Pise. 1738, 

 57 ; Syn. Pise. 1738, 85. 



Ostracion polyodon inermis triqueter jJjLTiW^, Mas. Ad. Fried. 1, 1754, 60. 



Ostracion triqueter, Linn£, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1, 1758, 330; ed. 12, 1, 1766, 407.— Bloch, 

 Ichth. iv, 1787, 106, taf. exsx. — Gmelin, Linnd, Syst. Nat. 1, 1788, 1441. — Schnei- 

 der, Bloch, Syst. Ichtb. 1801, 498.— Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 1, 444.— Shaw, 

 Gen. Zool. v, 1804, 420. — Mull. & Trosch. in Schomburgk, Hist. Barbados, 

 1848, 677. — Hollard, Ann. Sci. Nat. 1857, 154. — Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 

 viii, 1870, 256. 



Ostracion triquetrum, Poet, Mem. ii, 1861, 361; Rep. Fis.-Nat. Cuba, ii, 1868, 442. 



Ostrachim triquetrum, Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 1870, 475. 



Bhinesomus triqueter, Swainson, Nat. Hist. Fish. & Eept. ii, 1839, 324. 



Common, as it also is throughout the West Indies and the Gulf of 

 Mexico. Its length seldom exceeds eight inches. Its habits are slug- 

 gish, and it hugs very closely the bottom, where it is frequently taken 

 in fish-pots. 



The locomotion of the trunk-fishes is very peculiar, and I found an 

 excellent opportunity for observing the movements of a Cuckold con- 

 fined in my aquarium. The propelling force is exerted by the dorsal 

 and anal fins, which have a half-rotary, sculling motion resembling that 

 of a screw-propeller ; the caudal fin acts as a rudder, save when it is 

 needed for unusually rapid swimming, when it is used as by other fishes. 

 The chief function of the broad pectorals appears to be that of fanning a 



