THE GREY GURNARD. 49 



produce the Red Gurnard, T. cuculus ; — namely, from 

 Waterford in the south, up the eastern coast to Londonderry 

 in the north. This species spawns in May or June ; its 

 swimming-bladder in shape resembles that of the Trigla 

 cuculus of Linnaeus, but it is not considered so good a fish 

 to eat. The fin formula is — 



D. 8 — 20 : P. 10 — 3 : V. ] + 5 : A. 20 : C. 11. 



The head is less elevated than in the other Gurnards, and 

 the profile of the face is concave ; the anterior prominences of 

 the upper jaw armed with two or three denticulations ; eyes 

 large, irides silvery white, pupils black, each orbit with one 

 small spine on its edge ; opercular and humeral spine slender 

 and sharp : the form of the body of the fish long and attenu- 

 ated ; the general colour brownish grey or greenish grey, with 

 a few irregularly placed white spots on the back ; the belly 

 silvery white ; the lateral line strongly marked with a sharp 

 crest formed by scales of a white colour ; the scales of the 

 body small, oval, and smooth : first dorsal fin brown, some- 

 times spotted with black ; the three or four first rays granu- 

 lated, and rough to the touch : second dorsal fin and tail light 

 brown : pectoral fins short, not reaching the vent ; dusky grey 

 in colour, but liable to some variation : ventral and anal fins 

 nearly white. Occasional varieties in colour occur among the 

 Gurnards, but these variations are mostly confined to the 

 species cuculus and gurnardus of Linnseus. The varieties of 

 the latter are frequently red, reseriibling cuculus, but are dis- 

 tinguished by the short pectoral fins, the three or four granu- 

 lated spines of the first dorsal fin, and the long and slender 

 body. The varieties of cuculus are mostly brown, resembling 

 in this respect the general appearance of the Grey Gurnard, but 

 are distinguished by their long pectoral fins reaching beyond 

 the vent, as well as their shorter and thicker body. However 

 different in colour varieties of the Gurnards may appear, the 

 other specific characters remain unchanged. 



VOL. I. E 



