■I4S THE GUUNA&S. 



Genus XLII — l.he Gurnard. 



X HE diftinftive chara£lers of this tribe, called by Lui" 

 nefus trigla, are, a fcaly body, of an uniform fliape, com- 

 preffed laterally, and attenuated towards the tail. The 

 head broader than the body ; and floping towards the 

 fnout, where it is armed with fpines ; the upper jaw di- 

 vided, and extending beyond tlie lower. The eyes arc 

 far from the roftrum, near the top of the head large and 

 prominent, particularly the upper margin of the orbits. 

 The two dorfal fins are unequal \ the firft fhbrt, high, 

 and aculeated ; the fecond, long, floping, and radiated. 

 The ventral and perioral fins are uncommonly large ; and 

 from their bafe there hang three loofe and (lender appen- 

 dages *. 



To this genus belong* the flying fifii of the failors, or 

 trigla volans of Lifinaus, remarkable for the length of 

 the pectoral fins, which it fometimes ufes for the pur- 

 pofe of flying. There are two fpecies of the gurnard 

 that participate in this manner the powers of the fea- 

 thered race ; they are both found only in warm lati- 

 tudes, and nature has probably vouchfafed them this en- 

 dowment, to enable them to efcape from tlieir numerous 

 purfuers below. It is a curious fpeftacle in the intra- 

 tropical regions to behold a thcufand of thefe fiflies, all 



darting 



* Guan. Hlft, pifc. p. 148. 



