105 



THREE-BEARDED ROCKLING. 



WHISTLER. WHISTLE -FISH. 



. Mnstcla vulgaris. Whistle-fish, Willoughby; p. 121, Table H. 2. 



Gade mustelle, Lacepede. Eisso. Bloch; pi. 165. 



Gadus triclrratus, Donovan ; pi. 2. 



" " Flejiixg; Britiali Animals, p. 193. 



Mofella trlclrrata, Jexyns; Manual, p. 449. 



" vulgaris, Yarrell; Br. Fishes, vol. ii, p. 270. 



" " GuNTHER ; Cat. Br. M., vol. iv, p. 365. 



Until of late writers on natural history have regarded this 

 fish and that which possesses four barbs on its snout, and 

 consequently five in all, as only varieties of the same species; 

 and they may stand excused for so doing, in the consideration 

 that the examples of each, when of smaller size, and keeping 

 closer to the lower tide-mark, as the Five-bearded Kockling 

 generally does, are found to resemble each other closely, except 

 in the particular that the last-named is furnished with a 

 different number of barbs. But recent observation shews that 

 these two fishes are naturally distinct, as well in their habits 

 and distribution as in the obvious particular of a variety in 

 the number of the processes or barbs. 



The Three-bearded Eockling is often found where sea-weeds 

 cover oozy ground, and there it hides itself under the shelter 

 of a stone when the tide has retired. Under these circumstances 

 the specimens are distinguished by uniformity of colour; the 

 back and sides being chesnut brown, which is softened into 

 yellow on the under parts. But those examples Avhich are met 

 with at perhaps the depth of ten or twenty fathoms are of 

 much larger size, and their colour shews considerable difference; 

 the ground of it being pale or reddish yellow, studded with 

 spots of deep brown of the same tint as that which covers the 

 bodv of the smaller individuals near the shore. And that 

 they go to even a greater depth than that we have mentioned 

 VOL. III.- P 



