THE RED GUKXAKD. 71 



Fa/nil;/ LoilICATI. 

 The Red Gurnard, or Cuckoo Gurnard, Tiit/la Pud, Bloch, 



Is, probably, taken all around the coast. I have seen it brought in by 

 fishermen, at various localities, from Derry, in the North, round the 

 eastern coast, to Cork, in the South. 



Early in Sjning, and late in Autumn, this species is most abundant in 

 Belfast market; but a few may be seen there in every month throughout 

 the year. They not uncommonly reach 15 inches in length, and some- 

 times attain to 17 inches here. Cuv. and Val. remark (t. iv. p. 26) that 

 those brought to Paris rarely exceed a foot in length. 



The stomachs of twelve sjjecimens which I examined at various seasons 

 contained the following food : — -Ist, a spider crab ; 2nd, small crabs ; 3rd, 

 40 small Crustacea, one-half inch long ; and a small crab [Portunus 

 ■pusiUus ?) ; 4th, remains of three small fishes, resembling sand-eels, a 

 crab, a shrimp-like crustacean, and an Aphrodita aculeata ; oth, a small 

 fish, and thirty-five shrimp-like crustaceans ; 6th, two small fish, one flat- 

 fish, and a shrimp-like crustacean ; 7th, filled with shrimp-like Crustacea ; 

 8th, a crab; 9th, the remains of small brachi/urous Crustacea; 10th, the 

 remains of Crustacea," among which were shrimj^s ; 11th, do., do.; r2th, 

 the remains of two small Pogges [Aspidopliori). 



The form and indentations of the snout of this species are very difi"erent 

 in individuals of similar size ; some being rounded oft' at the edge ; spines 

 inconspicuous ; in others, the spines very prominent, and a square ap- 

 pearance intermediate between that just noticed and T. Lyra, yet all true 

 T. Pini. 



Of six specimens (three males and three females) which I examined on 

 9th October, 1838, the greatest breadth of snout and development of 

 spines on it were exhibited on the three smaller ones, which were males. 

 Perhaps the males may generally have the broader and better armed 

 snout. 



The irides of all these specimens were golden orange, and the general 

 colour bright red. The ova seemed to the naked eye to be very little 

 developed in any of them. 



A fish of this species which I obtained on lOth March, 1835, agreed 

 precisely Avith Mr. Yarrell's description in the third paragraph, p. 35, of 

 his work on British Fishes (1st Ed.), except that the lateral line is 

 ■not " bifurcated at the caudal end,'' but terminates in a single line. It 

 was a female ; the roe being largely developed. 



The diff'erent species of gurnards have been much overlooked, the terms 

 red and grey being applied to five or to six, according as we consider T. 

 Cuculus and T. Guniardus identical or otherwise. Templeton saw that 

 there were four sp. ; but, on giving attention to the subject, I found that 

 there were two more, not uncommon in the North, that he had not in- 

 cluded, viz. 1'. Pini and T. lineata. In reference to the numbers occurring 

 on our coasts, the species stand thus : — 1st, the Grey Gurnard, Triijla 

 Gurnurditf: (synonymous with T. Cuculus, Bloch), is the most numerous ; 

 2nd, the Sa])phirine Gurnard, Trigla Ilirundo ; 3rd, the lied or Cuckoo 

 Gurnard, Trif/la Pini; 4 th, the Streaked Gurnard, Tri;/la lineata ; 5th, 

 the Piper, Trir/la Li/ra : 6th, the Little Gurnartl, Trifilu pccciloptera. 



I cannot but think that by T. Lyra, mentioned by Templeton as " taken 

 with the hook on our coast, but in no great numbers,'" he meant T. Pini, 



