36 



LITTLE GURNARD. 



Trigla poeciloptera, Yakrell; Br. Fislies, vol. i, p. 49. 



" " Thompson ; Nat. Hist, of Ireland, vol. iv, p. 79. 



" " GuNTHER; Cat. Br. Museum, vol. ii, p. 203. 



This, the smallest species of all the British Gurnards, appears 

 to have been generally overlooked, from the supposition that 

 it was no other than an early stage of the growth of the 

 Common Grey Gurnard. It was first made known as an 

 inhabitant of the British Islands by Mr. William Thompson, 

 of Belfast, whose account of it we extract, as compii'ising 

 almost the whole of what is known conccrninsr it. 



"In the Zoological Proceedings for 1837, I published the 

 following notice of an Irish specimen of this fish, the first 

 procured in the British Islands, 



Tn'gla pcsciioptera, Cuvier and Valenciennes. Little Gurnard. 

 Amongst the number of fishes submitted to my examination 

 by Mr. Bell, is a Gurnard, apparently of this species, which 

 was taken at Youghal, I believe along with sprats, early in 

 the summer of 1835. In form it agrees in every character 

 by which the T. pceciloptera is said to be distinguished. Judging 

 from its present apjiearance, I have little doubt that when 

 recent it would in colour also have corresponded. Its length 

 is two inches. Fin rays dorsal ten, (last extremely short,) 

 fifteen; pectoral ten, (three free;) ventral five; anal fifteen; 

 caudal fifteen. Second dorsal ray longest; twenty-five dorsal 

 spines; caudal fin a little forked; lateral line spinous. Thence 

 to the dorsal fin, and to an equal distance below the line, 

 rough with spinous scales, (this is not mentioned by Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes;) lower portion of the sides smooth. With 

 the T. aspera, Viviana, as described in the last-quoted work, 

 and which in length is stated, like the T. pcsciioptera, to be 



