NATURAL HISTORY [Fishes. 



pearance differs not much from it, only it wants the first fin 

 of the back, which the other has ; nor does it grow the length 

 of the ling, the largest tusk I have heard of not being above 

 three feet and a half long. 



GENUS XII I. THE BLENNY. 



Gen. Char. Head blunt at the end, and very steep ; body smooth and slippery ; 

 teeth slender ; body compressed sidewise ; ventral fins consisting of only two 

 united rays ; one dorsal fin ; six branchiostegous rays. 



Species 1. The Spotted Blenny. 



Gunnellus Cornubiensium, nonnullis Butter- Fish, q. d. Liparis, Wil. Icth. 1 15. 

 Raii Syn. Pise. 144. Blennius Gunnellus, Lin. Sys. 443. Brit. Zool. 171. 

 Ore. Swordick. 



THE Spotted Blenny is found very frequently under stones 

 at the low water-mark, or above it, among the sea-ware. It 

 is very tenacious of life ; can endure to want water almost for 

 the time the tide is down. A coarse fish, and seldom eaten ; 

 used sometimes for bait, but this is only when the fishermen 

 can get no better. This fish is seldom found above six inches 

 long ; the body much compressed, which has got it the name 

 of Swordick, or Sword-Fish, in Orkney. 



The back-fin begins near the head, and runs almost to the 



