ACANTHOPTERYGIANS. 101 



Trigla, Lin. * 



The Gurnards are the fishes in which the ahove character is most 

 strongly marked; an enormous suborbital bone completely covering the 

 cheek, and even articulated by an immoveable suture with the preoper- 

 culum, so as to allow of no separate motion ; sides of the head nearly 

 vertical, giving it a form approaching that of a cube, or parallelopiped, 

 the bones hard and rough. There are two distinct dorsals, and three free 

 rays under the pectoral. They have about twelve caeca, and a broad and 

 bilobate air-bladder. Several species, when caught, utter sounds which 

 have procured for them in France their vulgar name of Grondins; in 

 England they are called Gurnards. 



Trigla, Cuv. 



The Triglae, properly so called, have teeth dense as the pile on velvet 

 in the jaws and before the vomer. The pectorals are large, but not suf- 

 ficiently so to raise them above the water. Numerous species are found 

 on the coast of Europe. 



Tr. pint, BL, 355; Trig, cuctdus, L.? (The common Red Gur- 

 nard). Numerous vertical and parallel lines along each side of the 

 body, intersecting the lateral line, and formed by folds of the skin, 

 in each of which is a cartilaginous lamina; muzzle oblique. A well- 

 flavoured fish of a fine red colour. 



Tr. lineata, L. ; Tr. adriatica, Gm.; Bl. 35; Rond. 295; Mar- 

 lens, Voy. to Venice, II, pi. ii. (The Lineated Gurnard). Tho 

 muzzle much more vertical, and the pectorals longer; the lines on 

 the flanks encircle the body like rings. It is brought to our markets 

 with the preceding species-} - . 



Tr. hirundo,L.; Bl., 60 £. (The Swallow Gurnard). Neither 

 spines nor furrows on the sides; back brownish, sometimes reddish; 

 pectorals one fourth of its length, the inner side edged with blue. It 

 is the largest species taken on the coast of Europe, sometimes ex- 

 ceeding two feet in length. 



Neighbouring species are found in India §. 



Tr. lyra, L. ; BL, 350; Rond. 298. (The Lyre). The muz- 

 zle divided into two dentated lobes ; a stout spine on the operculum, 

 super-scapular, and particularly on the humeral; spines along the 

 dorsals; lateral line smooth; pectorals one third of its length; a 

 beautiful fish, bright red above and a silvery white beneath. 



Tr. gurnardus, L. ; BL 58. (The Grey Gurnard). A pointed 

 spine on the shoulder and operculum; scales on the lateral line 

 slightly carinate; generally grey-brown above, spotted with white, 

 and white beneath; some of them, however, are reddish or red, 

 Common in the markets in France. 



* Trigle, the Greek name of the Mullet; Artedi united these two genera, and, 

 since they have been separated, this name has been assigned to the Gurnards. 

 \ It is popularly but wrongly believed to be the female of the red Gurnard. 

 X It is the Tr. cuculus, of Brunnich. 

 § They are new; we describe them in the fourth volume of our [cthyology. 



