THE LIVING WORLD. 
109 
The Globe Fish ( Cirrhosomus turgidus ) is called also the swell-fish, or 
egg-fish. Though when in a state of repose a somewhat elongated and sym¬ 
metrical fish, it will, when caught, inflate itself with air and become an almost 
perfect globe, ornamented with spines. By tickling its belly the fish can be 
made to repeat the process several times, after which it expires from its frog¬ 
like effort to swell itself into an ox. Along the Atlantic coast is another species 
of swell-fish tetraodon whose habits are very similar to those of the globe-fish. It is a 
small species, distinguished for its green eyes, rough, frog-like skin, and generally 
repulsive appearance. This illustration shows the creature distended with air. 
The tropical representative of the globe fish family ( Tetraodon fcihakd) is 
frequently called the porcupine fish. 
The African Scaly Salamander (. Protopterus annectans) belongs to the 
African tropics, but can generally be found in the collections of our museums. 
It is a fresh-water fish and is insectivorous, 
sharing with man a fondness for fish and frogs, 
but adding to the rarity of its diet by includ¬ 
ing insects. It bears a striking resemblance 
to the salamander, but has delicately-fringed 
pectoral and ventral fins, arranged in pairs 
towards either extremity of the body, and the 
gills have filament-like projections. It is five 
or six feet in length, covered with cycloidal 
scales, and inhabits ponds, where it builds 
the toad, or sweevfish ( Tetraodon ). 
nest in the mud. In the 
absence of water it can substitute its lungs for the work done by its gills r 
and inspire air directly instead of indirectly through water. The mud-fish is a 
species very like the salamander, with similar habits. The engraving on 
the next page shows the creature in its winter burrow. 
The Eyed Pteraclis, though not a member of the flying fish family, bears 
some resemblance 
to creatures of that 
class, in the re¬ 
markable size of 
its dorsal and ven¬ 
tral fins, the latter- 
being confluent, 
with the anal fins. 
The name is given 
on account of a dark-blue round spot located near the upper edge of the very 
expansive dorsal fin. It is occasionally met with about our American shores, 
but its special habitat is along the Mozambique coast. It is a very beautiful 
fish, having burnished sides and a golden gleam on the tail and pectoral fins, 
while the expansive fins are tinted with dark blue. Its length is two feet. 
AFRICAN SCALY salamander (Propterus annectans). 
MAMMALIA OF THE SEA. 
The Cetacea are the water representatives of the mammals. They breathe 
air directly and aerated water. Their shape and their aquatic life is respon¬ 
sible for the popular notion that they are fishes. Porpoises, dolphins, walruses, 
grampuses and narwals are cetaceans. 
The Straight-finned Whale ( Orca rectipinna ) is common on the Pacific 
coast, but is almost valueless. These creatures are here introduced because 
