

STREAKED GURNARD. 



Mulhis imberbis, 



T, 



rt 



gla Uneata, 



Adriatica, 



Willoughby; p. 278, Tab. S. 1, f. 1. 

 Iago; in Bay's Synopsis Piscium, p. 165. 

 Tub/ton's Linnaeus. Cuvier. 

 Donovan; pi. 4. 

 Jenyxs; Manual, p. 339. 

 Yarrell; British Fishes, vol. i, p. 45. 

 Gunther; Cat. Br. Museum, vol. ii, p. 200. 

 Fleming; British Animals, p. 215. 



AVhen speaking of the Surmullets we assigned a reason 

 "why the older naturalists should stand excused for classing 

 the fish now named the Streaked Gurnard with that family, 

 under the name of Mullus imberbis, the Unbearded Mullet. 

 In its general appearance and some of its habits it greatly 

 resembles them; and if rare (as it has been usually considered) 

 on the western parts of the kingdom, it is only locally so, the 

 places of resort being chosen according to its peculiar habits, 

 and from which it does not much wander. Mr. Thompson 

 met with it on the east coast of Ireland, and an example has 

 been caught near Ayr, in Scotland; but this was an uncommon 

 instance, and it is not known in the north of the latter country. 



It appears to perform a partial migration, at least from its 

 winter retreat in the deeper water to situations nearer the 

 shore; and although it usually keeps near the ground, it 

 appears to imitate the Surmullets in effecting its passage at a 

 higher elevation, for I have obtained an example from a net 

 that floated over a depth of thirty fathoms; and there is reason 

 to believe that it even imitates one or two of the foreign 

 species of its own genus, in springing out of the water. On 

 one occasion, in the harbour of Polperro, (not its usual resort,) 

 a fish was seen to do this in a way that appeared unusual, and 

 when taken in a net it was found to be the Streaked Gurnard. 



This fish does not usually take a bait, and, as its places 

 of resort are confined to a peculiar quality of ground, it is 

 VOL. II. E 



