The species of this family are mostly found along the European
and western African coast; but singularly enough a species
closely related to the Old World form is found on the coast of
Chile. None have been obtained from the intermediate regions
or from the American coast. Two species are found in England,
and are known under the name of the greater weever (Trachinus
draco), about twelve inches long, and the lesser weever
(Trachinus vipera), about six inches long. They are perhaps
the most dreaded of the smaller English fishes. The formid-


Suborder Jugulares 711


able opercular spines are weapons of defense, and when seized
by the fisherman the fish is apt to throw its head in the direc-
tion of the hand and lance a spine into it. The pungent dorsal
spines are also defensive. Although without a poison gland,
such as some fishes distantly related have at the base of the
spines, they cause very severe wounds, and death may occur
from tetanus. They are therefore divested of both opercular
and dorsal spines before being exposed for sale. The various
popular names which the weevers enjoy, in addition to their
general designation, mostly refer to the armature of the spines,
or are the result of the armature; such are adder-fish, sting-
fish, and sting-bull.”’

No species of Trachinide is known from North America or
from Asia. In these fishes, as Dr. Boulenger has lately shown,
the hypercoracoid is without foramen, the usual perforation
lying between this bone and the hypercoracoid. A similar con-
dition exists in the Anacanthini, or codfishes, but it seems to
have been developed independently in the two groups. In the
relatives of the Trachinide the position of this foramen changes
gradually, moving by degrees from its usual place to the lower
margin of the hypercoracoid. Species referred to Trachinus are
recorded from the Miocene as well as Trachinus.
