GEN. ZEUS. THE DORY. 215 



long tube. Some have one dorsal fin, others two ; 

 but the character of their integuments, and their 

 cuirassed sides, associate them with this group. It 

 has three representatives in the British Fauna. 



Gen. XXIX. Zeus. — This genus has two dis- 

 tinct dorsals, the anterior of which is formed by 

 spinous rays, accompanied by long and thread-like 

 filaments, which extend far beyond the spines and 

 uniting membranes. Of the four species of L'Hist. 

 Nat. cles Poissons, one only is British : it is 



(Sp. 52.) Z. faher. (PL XIV.) The Dory, or John 

 Dory, of considerable size, grotesque form, and un- 

 common colours, has excited attention on almost 

 every coast, and received characteristic names from 

 every people. The French and English names, Doree, 

 have been given from its golden colour : it is the 

 cock, Gallo, of Sicily, from the crest on its back, as 

 also of the Sardinians, Spaniards, and French of the 

 Bay of Biscay ; in the western provinces of France, 

 it is called the Sea-hen. In many towns on the 

 Mediterranean, it is denominated St. Peter's fish ; 

 it being alleged that it was from the mouth of a 

 fish of this species that the Apostle obtained the 

 coin to pay the tribute-money, and that the imprint 

 of his two fingers marks the species to the present 

 day, — a legend which is likewise told of the Had- 

 dock : from a similar fancy, the modern Greeks are 

 in the habit of hanging up this fish in their places 

 of worship. 



Though not abundant in northern seas, the Dory 

 cannot be considered as very rare on the coast of 



