54 WITH HARD CHEEKS. 



coast of Scotland, and at the Orkney Islands ; it is found also 

 in the Baltic, and on the west coast of Norway. In Ireland 

 the Grey Gurnard occurs in all the localities which produce 

 the Red Gurnard, T. cuculus ; namely, from Waterford in 

 the south, up the eastern coast to Londonderry in the north. 

 This species spawns in May or June ; its swimming-bladder in 

 shape resembles that of the Trigla cuculus of Linnseus, but 

 it is not considered so good a fish to eat. The fin formula 

 is 



D. 820 : P. 10 3 : V. 1 +5 : A. 20 : C. 11. 



The head is less elevated than in the other Gurnards, and 

 the profile of the face is concave ; the anterior prominences of 

 the upper jaw armed with two or three denticulations ; eyes 

 large, irides silvery Avhite, pupils black, each orbit with one 

 small spine on its edge ; opercular and humeral spine slender 

 and sharp : the form of the body of the fish long and attenu- 

 ated ; the general colour brownish grey or greenish grey, with 

 a few irregularly placed white spots on the back ; the belly 

 silvery white ; the lateral line strongly marked with a sharp 

 crest formed by scales of a white colour ; the scales of the 

 body small, oval, and smooth : first dorsal fin brown, some- 

 times spotted with black ; the three or four first rays granu- 

 lated, and rough to the touch : second dorsal fin and tail light 

 brown : pectoral fins short, not reaching the vent ; dusky grey 

 in colour, but liable to some variation : ventral and anal fins 

 nearly white. Occasional varieties in colour occur among the 

 Gurnards, but these variations are mostly confined to the 

 species cuculus and gurnardus of Linnseus. The varieties of 

 the latter are frequently red, resembling cuculus, but are dis- 

 tinguished by the short pectoral fins, the three or four granu- 

 lated spines of the first dorsal fin, and the long and slender 

 body. The varieties of cucMlus are mostly brown, resembling 

 in this respect the general appearance of the Grey Gurnard, 

 but are distinguished by their long pectoral fins reaching 



