The naturalists' miscellany, or, Coloured figures of natural objects; drawn and described immediately from nature

83쪽

GENERIC CHARACTER. The whole animal marked by annuli or circular segmentS. SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

AMPHISBAENA with the annuli of the bodyamounting to about 223 ; of the tali 16. The animais of the genus Amphisbaena, whicli contains but very sew species, differ so much stom the major part of the serpent tribe, as to be almost liable, on a cursory vie , to be mistaken for Worms rather thansnakes; being totalty destitute os scales; instead ofwhicli the whole animal is marked with equidistant annuli, or circular spaces surrounding the body, and decussaled by an infinite number of longitudinat divisionsor stri . The head is marked with a few large divisionsor spaces analogoUs to the large scales in the major partos the genus Coluber; and the tali, instead of tapering gradually, is scarce distinguis habie stom the proportionos the rest of the hody; and is extremely obtuse orrounded. This peculiarity of mape in the genus Amphisbaena, gave rise to the erroneous idea of the Amphisbaena being furnished with a head at each extremity ;

84쪽

mity: for as the eyes are very smali, and at sirst vieo inconspicuous, the head bears no striking mark of distinction from the opposite extremity. The largest species of this genus, is the Amphisbaena alba; so callel

nexed plate. The Amphisbaena alba is frequently seenos at least a Mot in tength. It is a native of America, and is perfectly harmiest.

85쪽

XIPHIAS PLATYPTERUS.

CHARACTER GENERICUS. Caput maxilla superiore terminatum rostro ensi- formi. Corpus alepidotum.

CEARACTER SPECIFICUS, Uc. XIPHIAS pinna dorsi latissima, appendicibuS peG- toralibus acuminatis longissimis.

Marcgr. bras. l. q. c. 15. P. 171. Monstrum fortasse nullum hoc insignius generat oceanus vel Indicus vel Pacificus. Si rostrum spectemus peracutum et velut ensiforme, Xiphiae communi physicis optime cognito assine putemus: Cum tamen ab illo variis notis discrepet, speciem omnino diversam habeamus necesse est. Longitudo illi est viginti pedum: interdum multo major. Ρiscem hunc primus descripsit Marcgravius in historia sua Brasiliensi, qui etiam figuram addidit, certe non elegantem, qUae tamen ip sum animal satis accurate exprimit. Color generalis est sub-caeruleo- argenteus, dorso superiori, capite, caUdaque exceptis, quae insigniter fusca sunt. Pinna dorsi magna sus co-pallescit, maculis rotundatis plurimis ni-H gemmis

86쪽

gerrimis notata. Specimen ipsistimum, quo sorsan nullum pulchrius et perfectius, Unde figura haec nostra delineata est, in Museo Britannico asservatur, cui dono dedit illustris ille physicus Jos EPHUS BANKS, Baronetistus; ad quem tribus circiter abhinc annis, Venerunt literae a Praefecto navis Indicae, robur fere incredibile piscis describentes, asserentesque illum densam et solidam navis carinam rostro penitus transfixisse. Mortem

ipsi Tiphiae conscivit ictus violentia. Fauste admodum evenit non potuisse piscem rostrum reducere; quod si fecisset, perdita esset navis immissa aqua. Rostrum ipsum ligno infixum in Mus o Britannico conspici potest. Non solum maria Indica et Australia, sed etiam Septentrionalia incolit Xiphias Platypterus. Fertur eum balaenis esse inimicissimum, cumque iis saepius acerrime pugnare. Notatu dignum est loqui Plinium de navibus Tiphia perfossis; quod tamen inter fabulas Veterum physicorum semper habitum est. Cum vero ita se rem

revera habere intra pancos annos variis exemplis certissime compertum sit, probabile est Ρlinium, inscium licet, de hac ipsa specie locutum esse, qUae tunc temporis a Xiphia communi minus accurate distincta est.

89쪽

scribed by Marcgrave, in his History of Brasil, whohas illustrated his description by a figure, Whicli, thoughnoi possessing any degree of elegarice, is yet sussicient H et to

90쪽

to ascertain the animal. The generat colour of this fisi, is a silvery blueish white, excepi on the upper part Ofthe back, the head, and the tali, whicli are os a deephro n. The back-fin is os a pale broinn, finely spolied with roundisii marks of deep black. The stin is smooth,

and without any appearance of scales. The specimen frona whicli the present figure Was taken, is an uncommonly fine one: perhaps the most complete and perfectever feen in Europe. It is nota in the Britisti Mus eum, to whicli collection it was presented by Sir Jos EPHBANKs, Bart. President of the Royal Society. About

three years ago a letter Was sent to the President, Domthe captain os an East- Indianaan, accompanted by an account of an astoniihing instance of the powerfulstrength whicli this fissi occasionalty exeris: the bottom

us this species, in such a manner that the sinord or out was completely imbedded or driven through, iis whole tength, and the sisti killed by the violence of the effort. A most singularly fortunate circumstance for thepreservation of the vesse It whicli, had the fissi been en- abled to have withdrawn iis snoui, must inevi ablyhave so undered in consequence of the leah. The wood,

Brasilian and East. Indian seas, hut also in the Northernocean. It is sa id to be a great enemy to whales, withwhicli it is reported to have frequent combalsi It is remarhable that Ρliny mentions the circumstance of the Sinord-fissi being able to transfix vestet s; whicli has generalty been regarded as one of those exaggerations