19 



ELLECK. 



RED-FISH. SOLDIER. RED GURNARD, ROTCHET. 



Lucerna sive cticulhis, Willoughby; p. 281, tab. s. 5. 



Trigia cuculus, Artedt. 



" Yabrell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 38. 



In most writers there appears to be great uncertainty as 

 regards this very common species; which, therefore, we must 

 describe and represent from our own knowledge, with little 

 reference to the authority of others. That the appearance and 

 colour may vary on different coasts of the kingdom we can 

 readily suppose; but the principal difficulty appears to have 

 arisen from confounding it with a kindred species, Avhich Bloch 

 has given an account of under the name of Trigia pmi, and 

 which I suppose to be the same with Bloch's Gurnard of Mr. 

 Yarrell. 



The Elleck is caught on the west coast of England and 

 Ireland at all seasons; and it is known also at the extremity 

 of Scotland; where, however, as I learn from C. W. Peach, 

 Esq., of Wick, it is in such little esteem as food, as for the 

 most part to be thrown aside as worthless. In England they 

 meet with a ready sale; and it is their smaller size only that 

 places them lower than the Tubfish and Piper in public 

 estimation. The usual habit of this species, as of the whole 

 family, is to keep near the bottom in moderately deep water; 

 and there they feed on shell-fish, crabs, and small fishes, with 

 a variety of other creatures inhabiting the bottom of the sea. 

 They also take a bait freely, but are caught in the greatest 

 abundance with trawls. I have found them with spawn well 

 developed at the opposite seasons of January, April, and 

 June. 



