to afcertain the animal. The general colour of this fifth. 

 is a filvery blueilh white, except on the upper part of 

 the back, the head, and the tail, which are of a deep 

 brown. The back-fin is of a pale brown, finely fpotted 

 with roundifh marks of deep black. The fkin is fmooth, 

 and without any appearance of fcales. The fpecimen 

 from which the prefent figure was taken, is an uncom- 

 monly fine one : perhaps the mod complete and perfect 

 ever feen in Europe. It is now in the Britifh Mufeum, 

 to which collection it was prefented by Sir Joseph 

 Banks, Bart. Prefident of the Royal Society. About 

 three years ago a letter was fent to the Prefident, from 

 the captain of an Eaft-Indiaman, accompanied by an 

 account of an aftonifhing inftance of the powerful 

 ftrength which this fi(h occafionally exerts : the bottom 

 of the faid fliip having been pierced through by a fifh 

 of this fpecies, in fuch a manner that the fword or 

 fnout was completely imbedded or driven through, its 

 whole length, and the fifh killed by the violence of the 

 effort. A moft Angularly fortunate circumftance for the 

 prefervation of the veflfel ! which, had the fifh been en- 

 abled to have withdrawn its fnout, muft inevitably 

 have foundered in confequence of the leak. The wood, 

 together with the fword imbedded in it, is now in the 

 jgritifh Mufeum. This fifth is found not only in the 

 Brafilian and Eaft-Indian feas, but alfo in the Northern 

 ocean. It is faid to be a great enemy to whales, with 

 which it is reported to have frequent combats ! It is 

 remarkable that Pliny mentions the circumftance of the 

 Sword-fifh being able to transfix veffels ; which has 

 generally been regarded as one of thofe exaggerations 



