Garfish—Wild Fowl

Abstract

WITH reference to Mr. Archer's note in NATURE last week (p. 226), may I remark that the beak of the garfish of southern waters (Hemiramphus, A.) is of rather too fragile a nature to be capable of making a slit of four inches in length in a hard felt hat? May not the fish in question have been more likely a young and small Xiphias—or, as is equally probable, a juvenile Pristis or sawfish—emulating with the thoughtless exuberance of youth the habits of Exocetus?