464 THE GURNARDS. 



is good, and said to resemble that of the mackerel. 

 The Swedish designation of Knorrliane or J\iin-//tji/>, 

 that is, murmuring or purring cock, is derived from the 

 circumstance that when taken out of the water, it emits 

 a sort of loud purr. This arises from the gill-covers bein<; 

 closely pressed together whilst the air that filled tin- 

 cavity of the gills forces its way through them. The same 

 sound, though less loud, is also observed in some other 

 fishes, and from the like cause; but owing to the want of 

 lungs and larynx, no sound answering to that of the 

 higher order of vertebrata can possibly proceed from fish. 

 In some parts of Sweden, particularly in Bohns-l/m, 

 the name of this fish is Knot, and it is remarkable that 

 the Irish name, according to Yanvll, is A'i/oin/, or 

 The Danish local designations, Knoil'my and ( 

 seemingly from the same root, are no doubt diminutive 

 forms, as Codling of Cod, &c. 



Bloch's Gurnard (G/iodh/y un'if /iV///y/o/>-//V/r/-, that is, 

 gurnard with spotted dorsal fin, S\v. ; Tr'njla Blocliii, 

 Yarr.), smaller than the foregoing in size, is also pretty 

 common in the Scandinavian seas, and specimens from 

 both the Bohus Skiirgfird and the Sound are now in the 

 Lund Museum. Little or nothing seems to be known of 

 its breeding or other habits. It is not very many years 

 since this fish found a plaee in the Northern fauna, and 

 even at the present day ichthyologists would seem to 

 entertain doubts as to the propriety of classing it as a 

 species. Formerly it was, I believe, looked on as the 

 young of the Trnjln (liti-iini-ilns. 



The Sappherine (inrnard (Slor-fcixnl (intxliiig, or, 

 great-finned gurnard, Sw. ; /AW A, //>/-, Dan.; T. Ilir/i/ii/o, 

 Linn.) is the least numerous of the genus, a^ regards the 

 Peninsula. In our Skiirgurd it was quite rare, but is, 

 nevertheless, occasionally met with on the \\estern coast, 

 from the Sound to the Lofoden Islands, about hit. <>8, 



