21 



TUBFISH. 



SappJdrine Gurnard, Willoughby; p. 280. 



Trigla hirundo, LiNNiEus; but there is an error in 



lais specific character iu assiguiug 

 to it a spinous lateral line. 

 " " Donovan; pi. 1, but badly repre- 



sented, especially in the head. 

 " " Fleming; British Animals, p. 214. 



" " Jenyns; Manual, p. 340. 



" " Yaebell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 47; 



the head is represented too narrow. 

 " " GuNTHEE; Cat. of Br. Museum, vol. 



ii, p. 202. 

 Trigla hirondelle, Lacepede. Eisso. Bloch; pi. 60. 



The name of the household vessel, a tub, is derived from 

 a -^ord which signifies short and thick, and of which the 

 word tubbot, frequently used in the west of England, is the 

 adjective. This, beyond doubt, is the origin of the common 

 name of this fish, which is the thickest, and comjjaratively, 

 therefore, the shortest of the S2)ecies of this genus. 



It is as common as the EUeck, with which it is sometimes 

 confounded, and for which it is not ruifrcqucntly substituted 

 in the market. But it is not so abundant as the last-named 

 fish, although their habits are nearly the same; it also becomes 

 more scarce as we proceed northward, and is omitted from the 

 enumeration of fishes in Zetland. 



The Tubfish keeps near the ground, in water of considerable 

 depth; but it occasionally rises to the surface, as some others 

 of kindred species are known to do. It feeds on crabs, shell- 

 fish, and such fishes as it is able to find in its usual haunts, 

 among stones or sand, and readily takes a bait. A pecten as 

 large as a half-crown, a donax, and small solan or razor-shell 

 have been obtained from its stomach. I have found it with 

 enlarged roe at Christmas, and also in May and July. 



