GEN. CALL10NYMUS. SORDID DRAGONET. 279 



appearance, it is called the Fox : in Cornwall it is 

 the Skulpin. Besides its less brilliant colouring, it 

 is the smaller fish, rarely exceeding six or eight 

 inches in length, and it is shorn of its lyre-like fila- 

 ment, the first ray of the anterior dorsal scarcely 

 surpassing the middle of the second : its head is to 

 the whole length of its body only as one to five, 

 whereas in the Lyra it is as much as one to four. 

 Notwithstanding these marked differences, many 

 Naturalists believe that these two fishes are the 

 male and female of one species. Gmelin, we believe, 

 was the first to throw out this idea ; and Dr. Neill 

 supposed that he had established it from the cir- 

 cumstance, that having examined several dozens of 

 these Gowdies with this point expressly in view, 

 he found that the Gemmous Dragonets were uni- 

 formly milters, and the Sordid invariably spawners. 

 Had subsequent observation been equally unequi- 

 vocal, the Doctor's inference would have been in- 

 controvertible ; but Dr. Johnston's examination has 

 overturned it, he having ascertained that some indi- 

 viduals of the Sordid Dragonet were furnished with 

 milt, or soft roe. In habit, as well as in structure, 

 there are various points of diversity. Thus Mr. 

 Couch reports, as do other observers, that the Gem- 

 mous species prefer deep water ; whereas the other 

 often approach the margin of the tide, where he has 

 watched their motions with great interest. " They 

 keep at the bottom among sand or stones, and never 

 rise but to move from one station to another, which 

 is done with great suddenness and rapidity. They 



