THE GURNARD. / SOI 



Sapphirine gurnard Flying gurnard. 



in the water ; when taken out of the water, if the 

 sun chance to shine upon it, the various hues 

 with which it appears tinged form a truty charm- 

 ing spectacle. The red gurnard is a voracious 

 fish ; it appears on the coast in spring to deposit 

 its. spawn. Its flesh is much more firm and ten- 

 tier than that of the grey gurnard, being very 

 white in season, which is in spring, and during 

 the months of June and July; and it possesses 

 the advantage of having scarcely any hones. It 

 is remarkable that the red gurnard retains it* 

 beautiful color even after being boiled. 



The sapphirine gurnard is a beautiful fish, and 

 remarkable for the great breadth of the pectoral 

 fins, which are of a pale green, finely edged and 

 spotted with a rich deep blue. The dorsal fins 

 are lodged between two rows of spines, of a ser- 

 rated form ; the back is of a greenish cast ; the 

 sides are tinged with red, and the belly is white. 

 It is about two feet long, is found in the same 

 seas, and lives on the same kind of food as the 

 two preceding species. It inhabits the deep 

 water of the open sea, and by the great size of 

 its pectoral fins is enabled to swim with extra- 

 ordinary rapidity. The flesh of the sapphirine 

 gurnard is rather hard. In Denmark it is salted, 

 dried in the open air, and used for victualling 

 ships. 



The flying gurnard is a highly singular and 

 beautiful species, according to Dr. Shaw's ac-. 

 count of it. Its length is about twelve inches j 



