to ascertain die animal. The general colour of diis fifh 
is a filvery blueifli white, except on the upper part of 
die back, the head, and the tail, which are of a deep 
bro wn. 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 mofl complete and perfed 
ever feen in Europe. It is now in the Britilh Mufeum, 
to which collection it was prefented by Sir Joseph 
Basks, 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 aftonidiing inftance of the powerful 
itrength which tliis filh occafionally exerts : the bottom 
of the faid fhip having been pierced through by a fifh 
of dais fpecics, in fuch a manner that the fivord or 
fnout was completely imbedded or driven through, its 
whole length, and the filh killed by the violence of the 
effort. A molt Angularly fortunate circumflance for the 
prefervation of the vefiel! 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abled to have withdrawn its fnout, muft inevitably 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 
Britifh Mufeum. This filh is found not only in the 
Brafilian and Eaft-Indian Teas, but alfo in the Northern 
oxean. It is faid to be a great enemy to whales, with 
which it is reported to have frequent combats 1 It is 
remarkable that Pliny mentions the circumflance of the 
Sword-fifh being; able to transfix veffels; which has 
generally been regarded as one of thofe exaggerations 
fo 
