34 LANTHORN GURNARD. 



interesting. By botli these writers it is believed to possess the 

 property of displaying a conspicuous light by night an opinion 

 as old at least as the days of Pliny, (B. ix, C. 43;) and Risso 

 supposes that this faculty is common to all the species of this 

 genus. The shining parts of this fish are supposed to be the 

 head and mouth; and so brilliant are they said to be, that, 

 according to Lacepede, when the fish darts through the water, 

 the appearance is like that of a shooting star. But until this 

 phenomenon has been subjected to further inquiry, we cannot 

 accept it as unquestionable, for apjicarances not unlike it have 

 been noticed in other fishes, that are capable of receiving a 

 different explanation, and Cuvier positively denies the existence 

 of this property in any species of this genus. It is a well- 

 known fact that there exist minute inhabitants of the ocean, of 

 a pulpy nature, which are almost invisible to the naked eye, 

 but which, when excited, are caj^able of giving out a brilliant 

 light, that, when widely spread, is known , to fishermen and 

 sailors by the name of brimiug. It occurs in almost every 

 region of the globe, except the very cold, and with us is 

 most abundantly noticed in the summer and autumn. These 

 little animals, which are transparent in their own substance, 

 are in the habit of attaching themselves to any body with 

 which they come in contact, and when thus situated they 

 display theu* brilliant light so much the more freely from 

 the activity put forth by the substance or animal on which 

 they are fixed. There are instances known, in which animals 

 of the ocean, of several sorts, have been supposed to afibrd a 

 conspicuous light, when the real cause has been no other 

 than ^ an excited molluscous creature attached to its surface, 

 and such is probably the case as regards the Lanthorn 

 Gurnard. We learn also from Lacepede that these fishes swim 

 in companies, and when pursued by an enemy, that they spring 

 into the air for escape. It is probably for this reason, that, 

 among its other names, this fish was called the Milan and 

 Milvus, or the Kite. 



The Lanthorn Gurnard scarcely reaches a foot in length, 

 and is more slender than several others of this genus, in this 

 respect approaching more nearly to the form of the Grey or 

 Common Gurnard, but with still less elevation of the head. 

 The eye is moderately large, and from it the head slopes 



