194 



f HE GATTORUGINE, 



'ihe Gattorugine 



The fpecies lias been found on the coafl of Wafes ; the 

 body is without fcales, and lubricated with a flimy fub- 

 flance. Towards the head it is thick, gradually dimi-' 

 niihing towards the tail; the lides all along confideiably 

 compreffed. It is above of a dulky hue, marked acrofs 

 with undulating lines ; below of a pale alh colour, the 

 ventral and pefi-oral fins partly orange. The rays of all 

 the fins of this fpecies proje£l beyond their webs, and 

 have a fpiny appearancee. The eyes are fituated almofl 

 xipon the furnmit of the head, contiguous, and extremely 

 protuberant ; between them arifes a kind of crefl, which 

 feparates into four branches, and which can be raifed or 

 depreffed by the animal at pleafure. The cirri forming 

 this creft are thick at the bafe, fharpcning towards the 

 top, and fetaceoas along the fides f . 



Similar to the gattorugine, is the crefted blenny, a fifh 

 diftinguilhed by the fame creft-like fin upon the top of 

 the head. Its refidence is the fame ; for it is always 

 found on the rocky fhores, where it probably feeds on 

 crabs and fmall Ihell-fifli ; the remains of thofe animals 

 being found in its llomach J. 



The fmooth blenny refembles the crefled, almofl in 

 every reipecl, except that of the fmoothnefs of its fore- 

 head, which is deftitute of that ere6l fin, the ufe of which 

 no naturalift has hitherto pointed out. 



* Gattorugine Vireliis Will. Blennius Gattorugine, Lin. Syft, 

 ■\ Vid. Willmigh. p. 132. \ ^rit. ZooJ, 



