Extraordinary Lishes from California. 217 
water, asif they had been for months accustomed to the water. 
The male fish that was caught was not quite so large as the 
female, either in length or in circumference, and altogether 
a more slim fish. I think we may reasonably expect to re- 
ceive the specimens by the first of December. But I can 
hardly hope to get satisfactory specimens of the fish as I 
found it with young well grown, before the return of the 
same season, viz., June. By that time I trust the facts will 
be fully decided, and the results, as important as they may 
be, fully appreciated.” 
In a subsequent letter, (dated January 31, 1858), Mr Jack- 
son informed me that he had requested Capt. Case, U.S. N., 
who commanded a sloop of war in San Francisco, and who had 
also seen the fish, to supply my friend T.G. Cary junr., Esq., 
of San Francisco, with specimens of that fish, should he suc- 
ceed in getting any. I wrote myself also to Mr Cary, to be - 
on the look-out for this fish. 
About a fortnight ago, I was informed by Mr Cary, in a 
letter dated San Francisco, August 10, 1853, that after a 
search of several months he had at last succeeded in obtain- 
ing several specimens of this remarkable fish, three of which 
were sent by express (which have reached me lately), while a 
larger supply was shipped round Cape Horn. After a care- 
ful examination of the specimens, I have satisfied myself of 
the complete accuracy of every statement contained in Mr 
Jackson’s letter of February 1852, and I have since had the 
pleasure of ascertaining that there are two very distinct 
species of this remarkable type of fishes, among the speci- 
mens forwarded to me by Mr Cary. I propose for them the 
generic name of Hmbiotoca, in allusion to its very peculiar 
mode of reproduction. 
I feel some hesitation in assigning a family name to this 
type. It is probable that all its members will present the 
same peculiarity in their mode of reproduction, and that, 
therefore, the name Hmbiotoca may with perfect propriety 
be modified into Embiotocoide, as Didelphis has given its 
name to a numerous family, the Didelphyide, after having 
been for a long time simply a generic name. Should it, how- 
ever, be found that other types of this family present various 
