62 BKITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the length of five inches in the course of the 

 summer and autumn. Small Crustacea and 

 molluscous animals constitute its food. Fin- 

 rays, D 7. 1 + 8. P 17. v 1 + 5. A 2 + 6. c 13. 



We may now pass on to another family, 

 termed the " hard-cheeked," from the singular 

 characters presented by the head, which is 

 armed with spines and cuirassed, or defended 

 with osseous plates, giving a peculiar aspect. 

 To this family belong the gurnards, of which 

 six species, three common, the others rare, 

 are found on our coast. In the gurnards, the 

 head is square, and covered with bony plates ; 

 the gill-covers and shoulder-plate end in a 

 spine directed backwards ; the body is elon- 

 gated ; there are two dorsal fins, the first 

 spinous ; and there are three detached rays at 

 the base of each ample pectoral fin. These 

 fishes are remarkable for the sound or grunting 

 noise they make when captured ; hence the 

 French commonly call them " grondeus." 



The red, or cuckoo gurnard, (Trigla cucuius,) 

 so called from the similarity of the sound which 

 it makes, when taken out of the water, to that 

 of the cuckoo, is very common on the British 

 coasts. Like the rest of the species, it swims 

 near the bottom, and feeds on Crustacea, and 

 when captured is very tenacious of life. Be- 



