84 ACANTHOPTERYGII. TRIGLAD^. 



wards till the object was effected. While thus 

 engaged it would suffer itself to be taken in the 

 hand, but repelled any attack made on the nest, 

 and quitted not its post so long as I remained ; 

 and to those nests that were left dry between tide 

 marks, the guardian fish always returned with the 

 returning tide, nor did they quit the post to any 

 great distance till again carried away by the 

 receding tide." 



It is right to observe that Mr. Couch, who in 

 his " Illustrations of Instinct," quotes both of the 

 above papers, suspects that the nest, in the latter 

 case, was that of the Shanny {Blennius pliolis)^ 

 and that the Sticklebacks watched it with a very 

 different motive from parental affection. We 

 do not, however, concur in this gentleman's 

 conclusions. 



Genus Trigla, (Linn.) 



The Gurnards have the head somewhat four- 

 sided, more or less resembling the half of a 

 pyramid divided vertically ; hence the profile re- 

 sembles that of the Surmullets. It is, as has been 

 intimated, defended by long shields, those of the 

 gill-cover and shoulder terminating in a spine or 

 lancet. The body is lengthened, rounded above, 

 with the belly flattened, tapering from the head 

 backwards ; clothed with small prickly scales, 

 firmly embedded in the skin, very compactly 

 arranged, and often accompanied by rows of 

 spines placed along the lateral line. There are 

 two dorsal fins, the first short but high, with 

 spinous rays ; the second long, with rays flexible 

 at the tips. The pectorals are large, with strong 



