^66 



GOniOIU-E. 



ACANTHOPTERYGll. 



GOBIOID^. 



THE SORDID DRAGONET. 



FOX. Kentish Coast. — skulpix. Cornwall. 



Ciillionumiis dranmculus, Linn/eus. 



,, ,, Ci'viER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 247. 



,, ,, Sordid Dragonet, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 224, 



pi. 32. 

 „ „ ,, ,, Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 84. 



The Sordid Dragonet, so called probably from the 

 dingy hue of its colours as compared with those of its generic 

 companion, is the most common species of the two on vari- 

 ous parts of the coast, but generally occurs of small size. It 

 is frequently taken at the moutli of the Thames, where, on 

 account of its reddish appearance, it is called the Fox. 



The ffcneral accordance in the situation of the fins and 

 the number of fin-rays in the two British examples of Dra- 

 gonets, has induced a suspicion, first entertained by Gmclin, 

 that the two fishes arc but males and females of the same 

 species. Mr. Neill, in the Wernerian Memoirs, vol. i. p. 529, 

 supports this opinion ; liaving found that tlic specimens of 



