FAMILY SCI^ENIDA. MAIGRES. 



Ill 



Latin aranea, a spider. These trivial names render it probable that it is the 

 fish known to the older naturalists by the words draco and araneus, which 

 appears to be confirmed by the corresponding manners of both. Its French 

 name, Vive, is believed by Belon to depend on its long tenacity of life after re- 

 moval from water, and the English term Weever is probably only a corruption. 



The Common Weever (T. Draco) is about twelve inches in length, and 

 even more ; irides yellow ; scales range in twenty-five oblique lines from 

 above, downwards and backwards between the gills and tail, and the lateral 

 line formed by a series of oval scales ; head brown, with darker spots ; 

 gill-covers striped with yellow ; back brown, sprinkled with a few azure- 

 blue spots ; sides and belly tinged and spotted obliquely with jonquil- 

 yellow on a pale brown ground ; first dorsal fin black to the fourth spine, 

 the rest white, as are also the second dorsal and anal fins, which are marked 

 longitudinally with a broad jonquil band, and the rays of the latter reddish- 

 grey; caudal fin whitish, spotted with jonquil, and edged with black. 

 The colours are most brilliant in old fish, but the blue and yellow fade very 

 soon after death. This species is found in the British Channel and in the 

 Mediterranean. It swims near the bottom, is sometimes taken in deep 

 water with the trawl net, and even by the hook attached to deep-sea lines. 

 It strikes violently with spines, so that it needs very careful handling ; for 

 the wounds, as Pennant states, are very painful, attended with violent 

 burning pain, and most pungent shooting, accompanied sometimes with 

 inflammation up to the shoulder. 



MULLUS Surmullet. The fishes belonging to this genus are remarkable 

 for the beauty of their colour, and the delicacy of their flavour, and were held 

 in high estimation by the ancients. Juvenal, in his Xth Satire, mentions one 

 as having been sold for 6,000 sesterces, a sum nearly equal to 47Z. sterling. 

 Seneca, in his XCVth Epistle, mentions another presented to Tiberius, 

 who thought it better worth sending to market than eating, and which 

 being bid for by Apicius and Octavius was carried ofi by the latter at the 

 trifling cost of 5,000 sesterces, or nearly 39Z. And Suetonius, in his " Life 

 of Tiberius," mentions throe which together produced 30,000 sesterces, or 

 about 234?. of our money; an extravagance which induced the Emperor 

 to establish sumptuary laws, and to tax the provisions brought into the 

 market. Nor do these epicures seem to have been satisfied with the enor- 

 mous price of their favourite fish ; they delighted in having them brought 

 alive to table in large crystal vases, that they might enjoy the pleasure of 

 seeing the varying colours of the dying fish, and that it might be eaten as 

 fresh as possible. Galen mentions that the liver was considered the most 

 delicious part, and was mashed up in wine as a sauce for the whole fish. 



Surmullets prefer rooting about near the shore like hogs in the sand, or 

 mud, leaving their marks in shape of round holes. They are very cunning, 

 and in the attempts to take them, the whole shoal often escapes by 

 leaping over the nets. 



The Smaller Redbeard (M. Barbatus) is about eleven inches in length ; 

 it is distinguished by its vertical head, and by its deep and uniform red or 

 carmine colour; the under parts are silvery ; fins yellow. It is principally 

 found in the Mediterranean, and very rarely in the British Channel. 



Other genera of this family : 



ATHERINA. The most common species is the A. Hepsetus, the Smelt 

 of Southampton. 



BODIANDS. A sea-fish like the Tench ; it has spines only on the opercule. 



CANTHARUS. About the size of a herring ; opercule neither spined nor 

 notched. 



COTTUS Bullhead. It lives under stones in the beds of rivers ; a few of 

 them are British species. 



GYMNOCEPHALUS Ruffe. Similar in form to the Perch. 



MALTHE. Including the Sea-bat of South America. 



PARALEPIS. Called Lussions, at Nice, from their resemblance to small 

 Pike. 



PERCIS. Distinguished by its flat head ; resembles the TracMni. About 

 five or six inches in length. 



PERCOPHIS. Remarkable for possessing the characters of the Perch 

 with the form of the Snake. 



PLECTROPOMA. Resembles the Serrani ; the species are inhabitants of 

 the seas of hot climates ; varying from three to seventeen inches in length. 



POLYNEMUS. Natives of the seas of hot countries ; varying from three 

 to fifteen inches in length ; are highly esteemed for the table. 



PRIACANTHUS. Covered with rough scales on head and body ; from six 

 to fifteen inches in length ; good eating. The Bull-eye of St. Helena is 

 one of the species. 



SERRANUS. This most extensive genus, is distinguished from Perca and 

 Lahrax by its single and lengthened dorsal fin, and is very remarkable for 

 the saw-like edging of its preopercule, which, in many of the species, be- 

 comes so fine as to be almost imperceptible. Risso states that these fish 

 swim with open mouth, and darting on, their prey with the rapidity of an 

 eagle, devour immense quantities of Herrings, Spari, and other fish which 

 consort in shoals. 



SILLAGO. A genus formed from certain species of other genera not 

 previously known ; natives of the Indian and Australian seas. They vary 

 in length from six to twelve inches, and in appearance and flavour resemble 

 the whiting. 



SPHYR.SNA. These are fierce, voracious, and active fishes ; varying in 

 length from four to thirty-six inches. The form of these animals, it was 

 supposed by Schneider, resembled a stake, hence their name <r<j>vpaiva, " a 

 stake." 



THERAPON. Has the general form of the Perch ; some species are about 

 ten inches in length ; natives of the East Indian Seas. 



TRICHODON. Well known to the Kamtschatkans ; its habits resembles 

 the Weevers in hiding itself in the mud, in which the female spawns. 

 It varies from seven to ten inches in length. 



UPENEUS. All the species are natives of hot climates ; they were for- 

 merly included under Mullus. Some of the species are of similar form to 

 our Red Mullet. Vary from five to nine inches. 



URANOSCOPUS. Solitary fishes, about a foot long, living in the mud ; 

 remarkable for the great size of their suborbital bones, and being armed 

 with a spine suitable for an offensive or defensive weapon. Found in the 

 Indian Seas. 



TKIGLA Gurnard. When these fish are taken from the water they 

 utter a sort of grunt, whence, perhaps, their French name, Grondins ; this 

 probably arises from the escape of the air from the swim-bladder by the 

 pressure of the hand. They are divided into two sections: 1. Gurnards 

 with their body nearly surrounded with transverse thread-like lines, or 

 ridges; and 2, those whose body is without transverse lines. The Red 

 Gurnard (Plate 1) is from twelve to sixteen inches long. Its general 

 colour is bright red, with the sides and belly silvery ; fins reddish-white. 

 It is a native of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, being found on the shores 

 of America as well as Europe, and is very common on our own southern 

 and western coasts. It feeds on crustaceans principally, and spawns in 

 May or June. The number of the species is about sixteen. 



DACTYLOPTERUS. These fishes are in many respects allied to the Gur- 

 nards ; they are only about a foot in length ; are found in the Mediter- 

 ranean and Indian Ocean, and are celebrated for their power of springing 

 out of the water, and sustaining themselves for a time in the air. They 

 must not, however, be confounded with the true Flying Fish, of the genus 

 Exocetus. When pursued by the Corypheni, and other voracious fish, 

 these little animals expand their parachute-like pectoral fins, and spring 

 from the water, only to be devoured, probably, by the gulls ; or, on their 

 descent into the water, to be seized by the enemy from whom they had 

 just endeavoured to escape. 



The illustrated species, D. Vdlitans, or Mediterramus (Plate 1), is 

 common in the Mediterranean Sea. 



Other genera of this family : 



PERISTEDION. Closely allied to the genus Trigla ; they have, however, 

 broad scales on the under part of the body, forming a shield, which, being 

 connected with the upper scales, encircle the animal like a coat of mail. 



PLATYCEPHALUS Broadheads. Natives of the Indian Seas ; they 

 bury themselves in mud; vary from fifteen inches to two feet in length. 



