VOL. XXIV.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. l63 



In the hinder fin of the back of the yellow gurnard there were nine radii, in 

 the red gurnard fourteen; in both, the radii near the tail were the longest; those 

 in the yellow gurnard being 2^ inches long. The membrane that joined these 

 radiij as to colour, differed much in these fishes. For, in both the back fins 

 of the red gurnard, this membrane was all of a white transparent colour; in the 

 fore fin of the yellow gurnard it was yellowish with blue spots, edged with 

 black, and the membrane of the hinder fin was of a faint bluish colour, with 

 four yellow streaks, about a line broad, running the whole length. 



The pinnas bronchiales (whereof there were two on each side, and their situa- 

 tion in both the same, the uppermost being inserted perpendicular, the lower- 

 most horizontal to the body) differed likewise in colour. For in the yellow gur- 

 nard the upper fins were white, the lower of a blackish colour, with several 

 beautiful long spots of an azure blue. In the red gurnard the upper fins were 

 of a dark reddish colour, the lower ones white; but here between these two fins 

 I observed three naked cartilaginous radii, which are not in the yellow gurnard, 

 and are well expressed in Salvianus's figure of the red gurnard. 



The fin on the belly was placed exactly alike on both. The yellow gurnard 

 here had nine radii, and its membrane of a darkish blue colour. The red gur- 

 nard had seventeen or eighteen radii here, and its membrane transparent white. 

 The tail in both was much the same. Over the anus in the yellow gurnard 

 was a slender pendulous body, which was not observed in the red gurnard. 



The colour of the body of these two fishes also differed very much; and I 

 know not but that it may be a property in this species to vary in colours, more 

 than other fishes do. The belly of the red gurnard was of a silver colour, as 

 also some part of the sides near the belly ; the rest, and the back and the head, 

 were of a reddish colour; in the head there were some small whitish spots; the 

 belly of the yellow gurnard was white, but under the lower jaw was black ; the 

 sides and back were yellowish, but between the belly and sides there ran a blue 

 streak or list, about a line and a half broad, from the head to the tail ; and a little 

 higher on the sides there was a chain of blue spots the length of the fish ; for 

 on the sides of the head I observed these blue spots, only, from the eyes to the 

 end of the rostrum, the spots were of a deep yellow colour. There being 

 therefore so much of blue and yellow over the greater part of the body of this 

 fish, I have given it the epithet of caeruleo flavescens; for, where the ground is 

 blue the spots are yellow, and where yellow the spots are blue. 



Though hitherto there seems a tolerable agreement between these two fishes, 

 yet in the remarks I shall now add, the disagreement will appear greater. For 

 the yellow gurnard was without scales, I therefore call it laevis. The red gur- 

 nard had not only scales on the back, but likewise a ridge of spiny scales all 



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