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MEDITERRANEAN URANOSCOPUS. G'ranoscopMs sca&er. 



its lovely colouring, has always attracted the attention of voyagers, even though they have 

 possessed no skill in natural history. 



This beautiful fish is notable for the two long detached filaments that are planted 

 between the head and the dorsal fin, the first being extremely elongated and the second 

 much shorter. The first spine of the dorsal fin is solitary, and at first sight looks like 

 another isolated filament. In all the members of this genus, the prseoperculum is armed 

 with long, sharp, and powerful spines, the scales of the body are strongly keeled, and there 

 is no appearance of a lateral line. Four species of Flying Gu-rnards are known, the two 

 which have been selected affording excellent types of their general form. In the Indian 

 Flying Gurnard, the pectorals are covered with brown spots, and dotted rather profusely 

 with bluish white. 



WE now arrive at a moderately large family of fishes, called, from the typical genus, 

 Trachinidse. In these creatures the body is long and rather flattened, the gill-covers are 

 wide, and the teeth are arranged in bands. 



OUE first example of these fishes is the very remarkable MEDITERRANEAN URANO- 

 SCOPUS, a word which requires some little explanation before examining the form and 

 habits of the species. The generic title is derived from two Greek words, literally 

 signifying sky-gazer, and is given to the fish on account of the peculiar position of the 

 eyes, which are set so singularly on the upper part of the head, that they look upwards, 

 instead of sideways, as is the usual custom among the finny inhabitants of the waters. 



This species lives mostly at the bottom of deep seas, and is said to angle for the 

 smaller fish, on which it feeds, by agitating a slender filamentary appendage of its mouth 

 in such a manner as to resemble a worm, and to pounce on the deluded victims when 

 they hurry to the spot in hopes of a meal. Though a fish of rather repulsive aspect, 

 its flesh is tolerably good, and is eaten in many parts of Europe and along the shores 

 of the Mediterranean. 



Its head is very large and broad, and is partially covered with bony plates, and the 

 opening of the mouth is nearly vertical. The slender filament which has already been 



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