OSSEOUS FISHES. 
627 
the Atlantic and Mediterranean, where it is largely used by the fisher- 
men in baiting their hooks. 
The Sea-horse (Hippocampus) is a small creature about the size of 
the engraving (Fig. 361); its head has a singular resemblance to that 
of the horse. The rings -which constitute the integument of the body 
and tail have a close resemblance to the rings of some caterpillars. 
This curious combination of forms originated the name, Hippocampus, 
from t7T7ro9, horse, and /cdfnro ?, fish, adopted in very ancient times 
to designate this creature. It is found in the Atlantic, round the coast 
of Spain, the south of France, in the Mediterranean, and in the Indian 
Ocean. Mr. Lukis, who raised two females in captivity, describes 
their habits as follows: — “When they swim,” he says, “they preserve 
a vertical position, but their tail seems on the alert to seize whatever 
it meets with in the water, clasping the slem of the rushes. Once 
fixed, the animal seems to watch attentively all the surrounding objects, 
and darts on any prey presenting itself with great dexterity. When 
one of them approaches the other, they interlace their two tails, and 
it is only after a struggle that they can separate again, attaching 
themselves by the lower part of the chin to some rush in order to 
