56 A Guide to the Zoological Collections 



armed with spines, and there is a bony buttress across 

 the cheek, as in the Scor pallida. In the Gurnards 

 {Trigla and Lepidotrigld) some of the rays of the pectoral 

 fins are thickened and isolated from the rest of the fin to 

 serve partly as organs of touch and partly as organs for 

 creeping along the bottom of the sea. 



The Indian genera are Platycephalus, Trigla, and 

 Lepidotrigla. 



Family XXVI. Cataptiracti [Case 45]. 



The Mailed Gurnards differ from the Gurnards in 

 having the head and body protected by bony plates. 

 When the head alone is thus protected the scales of the 

 body are keeled. The Indian genera are Peristethium, 

 Dactyloptcrus and Pegasus. In Dactylopterus the pectoral 

 fins are prolonged, as in the true Flying-fishes, to form 

 organs of flight. 



Family XXVII. Gobiidce [Case 45]. 



This is a very large family, the Indian species alone 

 numbering 91. None of them grow to any size, most of 

 them are littoral, and some inhabit freshwater. Some 

 of the Gobies construct nests. The species of Perioph- 

 thalmus and Boleophthalmus live among tidal creeks, 

 and are as much at home on land as in water, hopping 

 about with great activity by means of their strong 

 ventral and pectoral fins. One of the most curious 

 sights of the estuary-land of this country is to see 

 Periophtlialmus sitting up on its arm-like pectoral fins 

 and gazing in all directions with its large protruding 

 swivel eyes. The Dragonets {Callionymus) are often 

 beautifully coloured, and in several species the male is 

 much more brilliant than the female, and has the rays 

 of the spinous dorsal and of the caudal fin greatly 

 prolonged. 



