The Zoologist— April, 187S. 3495 



Callionymns tyra at St. Leonards, — About a week since, a beautiful 

 specimen of the gemmeous dragonet was taken among the rocks on our 

 shore. It was exceedingly beautiful in its colouring and marking ; it was 

 nine and a half inches in length. It is the second specimen that I have 

 seen here. (See Yarrell's ' British Fishes,' 1st ed. vol. i. p. 261.) — J. 8. 

 Boiverhank ; 2, East Ascent, St. Leonards-on-Sea, Feb. 18, 1873. 



Calliouymus Lyra in the Aquarium at Sydenliani. — In the Aquarium 

 at Sydenham, the gemmeous dragonet may be seen in perfection. Citizen 

 Lacepede dwells in his delightful manner on the beauty of its name. 

 " What pleasing images," says he, " what touching recollections, does it 

 not recall ! Celestial beauty charming our eyes, enchanting music touch- 

 ing our hearts ; these two names happily associated restore, through 

 memory, your sweet but irresistible power ! " I am always so enthralled 

 by the poetic writings of the Citizen, that I feel little inclination to 

 criticise his meaning when he ascends to what is caUed " tall writing ;" but I 

 cannot pass over his eulogy of the name Callionymus Lyra without saying 

 that I am unable to understand it. Callionymns, as he himself has explained, 

 means simply " beautiful name," and does not apply to any distinguishing 

 characteristic of the fish ; and Lyra signifies a lyre, to which musical 

 instrument the dorsal fin of the little fish is supposed to bear some resem- 

 blance. But I can forgive any little inconsistency in so delightful and reliable 

 a teacher ; and I use the word " reliable " advisedly, for, although I cannot 

 always follow him in his fancies, Lacepede is particularly trustworthy in his 

 facts. The older name of Uranoscopus is more classical and more appro- 

 priate, but implies a character, that of star-gazing, which is equally 

 possessed by several other species ; and, moreovei', the name is applied to 

 a Mediterranean fish ( Uranoscopus scaber) which possesses the star-gazing 

 accomplishment in a a still more eminent degree. This star-gazing, however, 

 is not acquired, and therefore scarcely an accomplishment ; it is due to the 

 position of the eyes, which are placed near together on the very crown of the 

 head, so that they look directly upwards. In the dragonet they are pro- 

 tected, especially on the side where they aproximate, by a raised rim ; this 

 rim seems to form portion of a cup in which the eye can revolve at the will 

 of its owner, the whole appai'atus reminding one of the free motion of a ball- 

 and-socket-joint. The eyes have the power of turning, simultaneously or 

 separately, like those of the chameleon, but they have no leathery covering 

 with a median perforation like the eyes of that strange reptile. They are 

 wondrous eyes, those of the dragonet, glowing like living sapphires, or eme- 

 ralds, or amethysts, or like that glorious colour of a beetle's wing which we 

 entomologists call "golden-green." Mr. Lloyd truthfully remarks in his 

 ' Guide,' that their eyes give more the idea of actual fire than any other 

 animal organism known ; but, after all, no comparisons or epithets can 

 possibly give any just idea of the objects themselves — their beauty exceeds 



