THE GURNARD. 24! 



darting from their native element ; and while they en- 

 deavour to avoid the purfuit of the dolphin below, fall- 

 ing into the power of enemies ilill more dextrous and in- 

 veterate in the aereal element. The flights of thefe am- 

 biguous animals are but fliort ; for as foon as their wings 

 dry, they drop back into the fubjacent waves without 

 a poffibility of riling till they are again wetted there : 

 It is from the fudden drying of their wings, that they of- 

 ten fall upon the decks of veflels, particularly thofe that 

 double the Cape of Good Hope. Thefe filhes are feen in 

 the Mediterranean, but feldom venture farther from the 

 line ; none of thofe that frequent the Britijh feas are ca» 

 pable of rifing from their native element *. 



l%e Cra^ Gurnard -f. 



The colour of this lifh, upon the back, is a dirty green^ 

 variegated fometimes with black, but more frequently 

 with clay-coloured fpots : Below the lateral line, which 

 is remarkably rough, the colours are more diluted, and 

 the white fpots more frequent, till you approach the 

 belly, which is filvery. The head is lai'ge, covered with 

 bony plates, of which the higheft that covers the top of 

 the head, runs backwards, and terminates in two fharp 

 horns or fpines. The fnout, and upper part of the eyes, 

 are alfo fortified in the fame manner by fpines. The 

 Vol. III. H h jaws 



* Vide Willough. €t Marcgr. de pifcll). Bray, 



f Gurnardus Grifeus, Will. Trigla Gurnardus, Lin. Syft, 



