140 GOBIIDyE. 



i. p. 302, 3rd edit. ii. p. 815; Parn. Fishes Fnth of Forth, p. 90; 



Guichen. Exphr. Aly&r. Poiss. p. 79. 

 Corystion, sp., Klein, Pise. 3fiss. iv. p. 47. no. 10. 

 Uranoscopus, sp., Gronov. Zoophyl. nos. 204, 205, 206, and Mus. Ichth. 



i. p. 21. no. 63. 

 Genimeoiis Dragonet, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. p. 145. pi. 27, and edit. 



1812, iii. p. 221. pi. 31. 

 Sordid Dragonet, Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. p. 224. pi. 32. 

 Uranoscopus lyra, U. dracunculus, U. micropterygius (male, female 



and young male), Gronov. Stjst. ed. Gray, pp. 42, 43. 



B. 6. D. 4 I 9. A. 9. C. 10. Vert. 8/13. 



Praeopercular spine much shorter than the eye, flat, terminating 

 in three triangular processes, two of which are directed upwards ; 

 a fourth very small one at the base of the spine, pointing forwards. 

 A brown transverse spot below the last two dorsal rays. 



Adult male. — The first dorsal spine exceedingly elongate ; anal 

 papilla prominent ; snout elongate. Yellowish, beautifully spotted 

 and banded with lilac ; the anterior doisal with several lilac spots, 

 the posterior with four lilac bands. (C It/rd, auct. exc. Neill, Fries, 

 at Nilss.) 



Immature male. — The first dorsal spine more or less produced into 

 a filament ; anal papilla slightly prominent ; snout moderately ^on- 

 gate. Yellowish, with brownish, sometimes bluish spots ; the an- 

 terior dorsal anteriorly yellowish, posteriorly blackish, sometimes 

 spotted ; the posterior with an indistinct brownish longitudinal band. 

 (C. dracunciilus, part., auct.) 



Female and young 7nale. — The first dorsal spine not or scarcely pro- 

 longed ; anal papilla very small, hidden ; snout not elongate. Yellow- 

 ish, with brownish spots ; the anterior dorsal anteriorly yellowish, 

 black posteriorly ; the posterior with an indistinct brownish longitu- 

 dinal band. (C^. dracunculus, part., auct. exc. Neill, Fries, et Nilss.) 



German Ocean. Atlantic coasts of Europe. Mediterranean. (He 

 de France ?) 



After the doubt that C. lyra and C. dracunculus are but males 

 and females of the same species had been raised by Gmelin and 

 Valenciennes, the proof of this being really the case has been given 

 by Neill and Fries ; and it is surprising that they arc still re- 

 presented as two different species in the most recent ichthyological 

 accounts. Yarrell himself did not examine the internal parts of 

 the species in question, but was chiefly guided in his opinion by an 

 observation made by the celebrated Dr. G. Johnston of Berwick, 

 who recorded, in the third volume of the ' Zoological Journal,' p. 336, 

 that he had found a Sordid Dragonet (C. dracunculus) with a milt, 

 or soft roe. By the examination of only a few specimens, this ob- 

 servation will be found to be correct; but the conclusion drawn 

 from it, that such a male specimen of the Sordid Dragonet is speci- 

 fically different from the Gemmeoiis Dragonet, is utterly false. 

 What has been called the Sordid Dragonet comprises, namely, not only 

 the females of the species, but also the immature males, which, in 

 the form of the head and of the fins, and in coloration, resemble the 



