SCULPINS AND GURNARDS. 



;o5 



firm and wholesome, and is considered by some to be superior to the lasl 

 species, but in general more dry. In the north of Europe it is salted for 

 keeping. The Gray Gurnard, T. gurnardus, is considered by all fishermen 

 richer and sweeter than any of the other Gurnards, although in the markets 

 it is less sought after than the Red Gurnard, which is the drier and worse 

 flavored of the two. It is taken generally with hooks baited with mussels. " 

 These fish are taken in very great numbers in the trawl-nets; they appear 

 to be much more abundant on the European coast than their cousins, the 

 Sea-robins, with us. These recommendations are quoted here in order 

 to draw attention to this neglected group of fishes, which are certainly 

 worthy of greater consideration than they have hitherto received. 



Mr. J. Carson Brevoort has given the following testimony regarding the 

 food qualities of the American species : 



"Among the fish that may be classed as edible, but which are entirely 

 neglected here, is the Sea-robin, Grunter, or Gurnard. This curious, 

 but rather forbidding creature, is, in reality, one of the most delicate 

 morsels that can be laid before an epicure, the flesh being snow-Avhite, 

 firm, and fully as good as that of the king-fish, or whiting. In fact it 

 would be hard to distinguish them when placed on the table. 



" In Europe every one of the kinds of the Trigla, or Gurnard family, 

 is sought after eagerly, and finds a ready sale on the fish stalls. They have 

 eight or ten kinds of the group there, and we have but six here ; all but 

 one diflerent from the European kinds, though belonging to the same 

 family. We shall not attempt to describe all these fish, which resemble 

 each other very much in all but tlie color. They all have large heads, 

 sheathed with rough, bony plates, and armed with many acute points, and 

 their dorsal fin has also several sharp, thorny rays. These prickles are all 

 erected by the fish when taken alive, and they inflict a painful, though 

 not, as many say, a poisonous wound. The broad mouth is furnished with 

 rough, but not sharp, teeth ; the pectoral fins in most of the species are very 

 long, and can be expanded like a fan, whence they are sometimes called 

 Flying-fish and Butterfly-fish. It is doubtful, however, whether they can 

 actually fly like a flying-fish, but they have been said to skip from wave 

 to wave, a peculiarity often alluded to by halieutic ])oets. They also 

 emit a grunting sound, which can be distinctly heard in still weather 

 while lying at anchor on a shallow, which they frequent. At such a time 

 the sound resembles the distant lowing of kine. When freshly taken 

 from the water they grunt quite loudly, whence their popular name of 

 Grunter, or Cuckoo-fish. 



"The Gurnards live on crabs and delicate fresh food, taking all such 

 baits readily, on a clean bottom, and they sometimes anno" fishermen 



