76 ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



English and Irish specimens may be considered insufficient to warrant such 

 a conclusion — that they are distinct. 



The more prominent differences are — in the form of the snout; in the 

 body of my specimens being very much rougher than that of 7'. Ilirimdo, 

 with which Mr. Couch's fish agrees in this respect ; in their lateral line 

 being sti'ongly and acutely serrated, although, in the individual described 

 by this gentleman, it ' is but faintly, though distinctly, roughened.' 



Finally, it may be observed, with reference to this last fish being ' hitherto 

 confounded with T. Blochii,^ that the examination of my specimens con- 

 vinces me that the T. Cucnhis of Bloch, Cuvier, Pennant,* Montagu, 

 Fleming, and Jenyns represents but one species ; that Mr. Yarrell's T. 

 Block it, excepting what is borrowed from Risso, is also identical, and, 

 judging from Mr. Couch's description, that his TrigUi is a different species." 



Dr. Parnell having called attention to the apparent identity of Trigla 

 Cuctdus, BL, with the T. Gumardns of authors, I communicated the follow- 

 ing remarks to the Annals N. H. (vol. ii. p. 313) : — 



" When noticing the T. Cuculus as an addition to the Fauna of Ireland, in the 

 first vohime of the 'Annals' t (p. 348), I embraced the opportunity of offering 

 some remarks on the confusion that existed about the species. In so far, the 

 observations then made may not be useless ; hut as it was looked upon in the 

 ordinary light of being a species distinct from T. Gimiardus, of which it has 

 very recently been ''sho'\\ia to be merely the young, I feel that a few notes are 

 requisite as supplementary." 



In a paper on some species of British fishes read by Dr. Parnell before 

 the meeting of the British Association of Newcastle, the author stated that 

 an examination of a series of specimens, embracing all sizes, had led him 

 to the conclusion that T. Cucuhis, Bl. [T. Bloch ii, Yarr.), is only the young 

 of T. Gurnardus : and to him alone, I believe, is this highly interesting 

 discovery due, for such, in consequence of the manner in which it is effect- 

 ed, I conceive it to be. J Having lately procured a series of specimens, 

 that I might, for my own satisfaction, examine into this question, I shall 

 here give the results. The following extract from the Histoire Naturelle 

 des Poissons of Cuvier and Valenciennes, by whom they are considered 



* BetNveen the figin-es and descriptions of Bloch and Pennant there is some 

 disparity ; the latter author describes two spines on each side of the snout, the 

 former four, which number my specimens possess. Bloch describes the lateral 

 line as consisting oi " ecaiUes epaisses, larges," &c., which mine exhibit; whilst 

 Pennant observes that " the side-line [is] nearly smooth." Bloch again describes 

 the caudal fin as forked, and figures it very much so ; Pennant states that it is 

 "almost even at the end," which it is in the individuals under consideration. 



t One oversight was here committed. Mr. Jenyns is mentioned in company 

 with other authors as not having described the relative length of the first and 

 second rays of the first D. fin to each other; but, although this is not alluded to 

 in his Mamial, under the head of T. Cuculus (a circumstance which led to the 

 remark), the relative differences only between this species and T. Gurnardus 

 bei]ig described, rendered any observation on this point unnecessary, when a 

 similarity was considered to prevail in this cliaracter. For a similar reason, Cuv. 

 and Val. did not particularize the relative length of these rays. 



% In the number of specimens of each species, independently of the beautiful 

 manner in which they are preserved. Dr. Parnell's collection of Britisli fishes 

 stands quite unrivalled. In these Triglrc is a notable instance of the advantage 

 of a series of different sizes, the young and old fish being so different, that with- 

 out having traced the changes from youth upwards we could hardly believe in 

 the modification which really takes place. 



