GEN. GUNNELLUS. THE SPOTTED GUNNEL. 263 



Gunnel, corrupted from Gunwale, is said to be de- 

 rived from the name which the only British species 

 bears in the West of England. Further north, these 

 fishes multiply ; three or four species have been 

 observed in Greenland and Iceland, and almost 

 twice as many in the Pacific Ocean. 



(Sp. 69.) G. vulgaris. (PL XVIII.) The Spot- 

 ted Gunnel is called also the Butter-fish, on account 

 of the quantity and consistence of the mucous secre- 

 tion with which its sides are covered. In these 

 countries it attains the size of six or seven inches ; 

 in more northern latitudes, of ten; although Dr. 

 Parnell has captured one of eleven. The body is 

 compressed, somewhat like a sword ; and hence its 

 northern names of Swordick and Svard-Jisk. The 

 colour of the body is olive, with a mixture of yel- 

 low : on each side of the dorsal fin there are from 

 nine to thirteen large dark spots, bordered by a 

 whitish circle, placed at equal distances from each 

 other along the back ; and the anal fin has eleven 

 or twelve whitish spots arranged similar to those on 

 the back. These spots appear to become fewer and 

 less defined as the fish increases in size and age : 

 the pectoral and caudal fins are of a deep orange- 

 colour. This little fish is common on the British 

 coasts, on the southern and eastern, having been 

 first described by AVillughby, from a specimen 

 caught at St. Ives ; also in Scotland, Orkney, Shet- 

 land, Norway, and Greenland : it is also common 

 on the northern and western coasts of France, but 

 has not been observed in the Mediterranean. Its 



