236 



CENTROXOTUS. 



The head small; jaws equal; body long and much compressed; 



dorsal fin long, and with the anal running near to the tail, but not 



continuous with it. Yuntral fins with two short rays, which are 

 jugular. 



BUTTERFISH. 



SWORDICK. GUNNEL. NINE EYES. 



Ckmnellus Cornuhiensmm, Willoughby; p. 185, pi. G 8, but the 



specimen figured had died in a spasm. 



Blennius gunnellus, Linn^us. Blocii; pi. 71. Donovan; pi. 27. 



" " Jenyns; Manual, p. 283. 



Bletuiie gunnel, Lacepede. 



Gunnellus vulgaris, Fleming; Br. Animals, p. 207. 



" Yaerell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 269. 



Centronotus gunnellus, Guntuer; Cat. Br. M., vol. iii, p. 285. 



This species receives the name of Butterfisli from its very 

 slippery skin, from which and its active wriggling, it is difficult 

 to grasp or hold it in the hand. The name of Gunnel, by 

 which it is usually designated in books, was assigned to it by 

 Ray, who supposed he had found it so called in Cornwall; but 

 the origin of this name, which, on the authority of that 

 eminent naturalist and excellent man has been widely spread, 

 appears to have arisen from a somewhat ridiculous mistake. 

 As this fish was new to his inquiries, he appears to have 

 applied for information to some one as little informed as 

 himself, and the answer he seems to have received was that 

 it looked like the gunwhale (pronounced gunnel) of a boat, 

 from which casual circumstance has arisen its best-known 

 denomination. Bloch, Avho had no knowledaje of tlie English 

 language, has given a similar explanation of the term, which 

 therefore he probably received from a travelling friend, to 



