THE GURNARD FAMILY 333 



12 inches and upwards, but a female at this size was immature. 

 As far as the evidence goes it indicates, as will be seen, that 

 maturity is not attained until the second season after hatching. 



JMigratioiis and habits. — We have no evidence at present of 

 any regular migrations of gurnards, except that like many other 

 fishes they appear to come nearer inshore in summer. Couch 

 and other naturalists assert that they sometimes rise to the sur- 

 face and sport there. In the aquarium at Plymouth and else- 

 where it has been observed that they do not live long, being 

 apparently unable to bear confinement. The sapphirine gurnard 

 has the curious habit of spreading out its breast fins with the 

 brilliantly coloured surface uppermost, when it is alarmed, as by 

 the approach of the hand or a stick. The use of this to the fish 

 or the reason of it is not obvious. The piper probably uses its 

 peculiarly armed snout to dig up the gravel and turn over stones, 

 but this habit has not been observed. 



