GOBIES AND BLENNIES. 167 



The dorsal is generally emarginate, or interrupted 

 in its outline near the middle. Most of the 

 species are furnished with a fringed appendage 

 over each eye, and some have another on each 

 temple. The intestines are wide and short. 



These little fishes live in small troops, in 

 the shallow pools and channels among the rocks 

 of the coast, swimming and leaping to and fro 

 with much agility. Their smooth lubricated 

 skin, and general softness of flesh have been 

 already adverted to. They are abundant enough, 

 but their minute size renders them unworthy of 

 attention, and in this country, we believe, they 

 are never cooked; in Italy, however, they are 

 fried in numbers, like sprats in England, and 

 eaten by the poorer classes. They are said to 

 feed on small Crustacea and other animals, which 

 they obtain from among the weeds in which 

 they hide. Mr. Couch found in the stomach of 

 one various bivalve shells, parts of a star-fish, 

 the common jointed coralline, and brown sea- 

 weed. 



Cuvier states that many of the Blennies are 

 viviparous, and though we are not aware that 

 this is the case with any of the British species 

 of the restricted genus before us, we have one 

 of a genus closely allied, which l)ears the title 

 of Viviparous Blenny {Zoarces viviparus, Cuv.) 

 from this remarkable habit. It is not uncommon 

 on the rocky shores of Scotland, and is occa- 

 sionally brought, though by no means of inviting 

 appearance, to the Edinburgh market. The fe- 

 male produces her young alive and fully formed, 

 but varying in size, as it appears, (though this 

 circumstance is certainly strange,) according to 



