17 



GURNARDS. 



The fishes of this well-marked family have obtained their 

 English name from the firm, rugged, and bony structure of 

 their head: the word Gurnard being significant of this character 

 in the ancient language of Britain. The summit of the head 

 is high; and it slopes obliquely to the snout, which projects 

 over the mouth in a double and jagged process. The eyes are 

 on a level with the top of the head, and are directed laterally; 

 the cheeks firmly fixed, and the gill-covers nearly so; the 

 surface being bony, and studded with star-like lines, which are 

 not covered with visible skin. Posteriorly they are armed with 

 strong spines, which are rough, with raised lines; and one, of 

 a flattened triangular form, is at the side of the body. The 

 under part of the body is strengthened with a broad sternum 

 or breast-bone. The dorsal fins two, the first with spinous rays ; 

 pectorals broad; but what particularly distinguishes this genus 

 are the three separate slender processes on each side, imme- 

 diately below the pectoral fins; which possess extensive motion 

 on a double row of joints not connected with the fins. These 

 processes or fingers are supjilied with peculiar nerves, and 

 consequently are in possession of special functions. That they 

 are organs of feeling is not to be doubted; but the fish has 

 also been seen, when resting on the ground, to close the 

 pectoral fins, and to creep with an appearance of research by 

 the help of those processes, as if they were organs of motion 

 that could be employed without exciting alarm in the prey; 

 which the motion of the fins might possibly do. All of these 

 fishes are remarkably furnished with air-bladders, which vary 

 in shape according to the species; but all of them are firm in 

 texture, with muscular fibres interwoven with their fibrous 

 texture, and are so loosely fastened to the back-bone, as to 

 be capable of being removed from the body without the loss 

 of the contained air. By this structure of the air-bladder the 

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