359 
SNAKE PIPEFISH. 
Syngnuthus opMdion, Jenyns; Manual, p. 487. 
“ “ Yakrell; Br. Fishes, toI. ii, p. 4t.'>. 
This is not only a common fish at some seasons, but at 
times it abounds in incalculable numbers from near the shore 
to several miles in the open sea; and it is then they appear 
to perforin a perhaps limited migration or change of quarters; 
for they swarm at the surface in fine weather from the early 
part of summer to its declension; but after this time they are 
not seen, and probably have gone to the bottom, and into 
deeper water. When on our coast their actions are amusing, 
as with their slender and prehensile tail they lay hold of some 
loose and floating object; with the aid of which, and the anterior 
portion of the body free, they steer their wandering course by 
the waving action of the dorsal fin. A slip of floating sea-weed, 
a rope, the mark line of a crab-pot, or the entangled meshes 
of a net, will serve them for support and rest, and thus they 
are kept at the surface with little effort; but they are liable to 
be devoured by ravenous fishes, and the stomach of a Pollack 
has been found filled with them. 
The line of the under part of the body of the male, from 
the vent forward, is, as in the Ocean Pipefish, the place where 
the ova are affixed in something like order; and there appears 
to exist in that part a tendency to organization, which is 
brought into exercise on this occasion; for it is certain that 
there is something more than a mere adhesion of contact between 
the grains of roe and the surface on which they lie; since the 
skin is raised round each of the grains like a cup, and they 
are not easily removed from it. Within the female when 
procreant, the slender pair of ovaries exceed three inches in 
length, and connected with these I have observed to hang 
