The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1877-06-30

At the regular monthly meeting Of tn
Chicago Academy Of Sciences, last even
ing, says the Inter. Ocean, DIR. Veil,
made Q report of his explorations alon,
the coast of Florida, this spring, il
search of natural and archaeological
curiosities, On this trip he was accom-
panied by his brother, Mr.. A. E. Veli'
of Aurora, and Mr.. Hammond of Gene
SEQ, III. The expedition was rich in re
suits, and the Doctor brought HON,
with him q very large collection of val
liable specimens for the museum of thu
Academy. His report was very brief
consisting Of little more than descrip
ton of his voyage and list of the curl
0sities which he had collected.
Not the least of these was q genuine
devil-fish-the only specimen of the in
fernal animal in America-which formed
the subject of a paper by Prof. Pea
body, who entered infinitely into it
character, disposition and habits. The
body of the fish was large, the trans.
verse exceeding the longitudinal diam.
eter. Skin rough, but without any evi.
dent tubercles or spines. Head not dis.
tinct from the body, subtruncate in
front, slightly convex. Mouth subterm.
inal, with very small teeth in seven OF
eight rows Nostrils small, and placed
near the angles of the mouth. Eyes
prominent, lateral, and placed on emf.
nences at the bases of the frontal ap-
pendices. Bronchial appertures narrow,
linear, varying from one to two feet in
length, with valvular coverings. Tail
long, slender, sub-compressed, terminal
ing in q slender extremity. Dorsal fin
at base of tail, small and triangular.
The dimensions of DR.. Velie's specimen
are as follows:
Width at pectorals. ...........10 feet inches
Length, exclusive of tail...... s feet 5 inches
Length of tail. feet inches
Length Of frontal appendices. foot
Width of frontal appendices. inches
One of the results of DIR. Velie's ex-
perience with the dvil-fish is that the
back of the male is black, while the fe-
male has broad angulated belt of a
lighter color crossing the back immedi-
ately behind the eyes. The specimen
captured by DR.. Velie is q female. 1t
is a comparatively small fish, as those
described by Elliott and DeKay were II
or 18 feet in width, and others of equal
dimensions have frequently been en-
countered, though rarely captured.
Prof. Peabody related several anecdotes
illustrative of the strength of the devil
fish. One, 10 feet broad, lowed 13-ton
schooner with all sails set in the face of
a brisk wind until the harpoon drew out
and the fish escaped. DR.. Velie ex-
perienced great difficulty in making his
capture. He harpooned five other fish,
but lost them all. The one captured
succumbed only after an hours strug-
gle. Among the means of assault which
the fish possesses are its frontal appen-
dices, which are movable, and with
which it can seize and hold, as by power
of suction, any thing coming within
reach. In this respect only does it re-
semble the devil-fish known to the reader
of Victor Hugo. The food of the devil
fsb has been supposed to be crustaceans.
Some scientists are of opinion that it
lives on other fish, but no scales have
ever been found in its stomach. The
stomach of DIR. Velie's specimen con-
tanned a large quantity of q reddish,
moss-like substance, which Prof. Reinsch
of Bavaria, one Of the members of the
Chicago Academy, identified as sea-
weed, possibly new species.