38 



WITH HARD CHEEKS. 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



WITH HARD CHEEKS. 



THE RED GURNARD, CUCKOO GURNARD. 



Trigla cuculus, LINNAEUS. 



,, Cuv. et VALENC. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. t. iv. p. 26. 



,, pini, BLOCK, pt. xi. pi. 355. 



,, lineata, MONTAGU, Mem. Wern. Soc. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 460. 



,, ,, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 215, sp. 153. 



,, ,, JENYNS, Brit. Vert. p. 338. 



Generic Characters, Head nearly square, covered with bony plates ; gill- 

 cover and shoulder-plate ending in a spine directed backwards ; body elongated, 

 nearly round ; two dorsal fins, the rays of the first spinous, those of the second 

 flexible ; teeth in both jaws and on the front of the vorr.er pointed, small, and 

 numerous ; branchiostegous rays 7 ; gill-opening large ; three detached rays at 

 the base of each pectoral fin. 



CUVIEK'S second family of the Acanthopterygii contains 

 those genera, the species of which have their cheeks defended 

 by indurated plates, which are sometimes spinous. Of the 

 first genus of this family, Trigla, the Gurnards, the British 

 coast produces nine species, three of which are common, the 

 others are of rarer occurrence. They are chiefly caught by 

 the trawl-net used in deep water ; as the Gurnards mostly 

 swim near the bottom, and are tenacious of life after they 

 have been taken from the sea. Excellent amusement is 



