286 COMMON DORY. 



necting membrane : the tail is of moderate size, 

 and rounded at the end. 



Though the reputation of this fish, at least in 

 our own country, is now established as an excel- 

 lent article of food, yet its introduction to the tables 

 of the higher ranks is of no very distant date ; Mr. 

 Quin being generally considered as the first who 

 ventured to recommend it to the attention of the 

 polite world. 



The Dory is of, an extremely voracious nature, 

 preying on the smaller fishes and their spawn, as 

 well as on various kinds of sea-insects, the smaller 

 shell-fish, &c. AVhen first taken it is said to make 

 the same kind of sound as the Gurnards and Scor- 

 paenas, by violently forcing out the air from its 

 gill-covers. It has been figured in the works of 

 Salvian, Willughby, and others, but perhaps the 

 most accurate representation may be found in that 

 of Dr. Bloch, 



