400 



HISPID FILE-FISH. 



colour is grey, inclining to brown on the upper 

 parts, and varied with irregular, dusky, subtrans- 

 verse undulations and spots : immediately over the 

 head, just above the eyes, is a very strong single, 

 and slightly recurved spine of considerable length, 

 and serrated on the hind part : the dorsal fin com- 

 mences at some distance beyond this, and is rather 

 shallow, reaching to within a small distance of the 

 tail, which is of an oval or slightly rounded shape : 

 the anal fin is placed opposite the dorsal and is of 

 similar form : the pectoral are small and rounded : 

 the ventral consist of a pair of concealed, rough 

 bony processes : both fins and tail are of a pale 

 brown colour, the latter marked by a few dusky 

 bars. This fish is a native of the Indian and Ame- 

 rican seas, feeding chiefly on crustaceous and testa- 

 ceous marine animals. In the North- American 

 seas is found a variety, of a larger size, and varie- 

 gated with red and blue streaks : this, according to 

 Catesby, is esteemed a poisonous fish. 



HISPID FILE-FISH. 



Balistes Hispidus. B. pinna capitis uniradiata, rostro subulato,. 



pinna caudce ocello nigro. Lin. Syst. Nat, 

 Spotted File- Fish, with subulate snout, and a black spot on 



the tail -fin. 



Balistes varius, dorsQ monocantho, &c. Seh, mus. 3. p. 106. 

 t. 34./. 2. 



Length about three inches : shape oval : snout 

 produced into a tubular form : colour pale yellow- 



