THE RED GURNARD. 175 



part of the head rough, without scales ; eyes large, placed high on 

 the head ; four spines on the upper and front part of each orbit ; 

 operculum with two sharp spines on the upper and posterior border ; 

 scapular spines extending back as far as in a line under the third 

 dorsal ray ; lateral line commencing over the upper part of the 

 operculum, taking a straight course to the base of the tail where it 

 divides into two, and extends down the caudal fin, crossed through- 

 out its length with lines half an inch long, placed one-eighth of an 

 inch apart ; upper jaw longest. Teeth small and fine in both jaws, 

 and on front of the vomer; dorsal ridge strongly toothed. First 

 dorsal fin commences over the base of the pectorals and ends in 

 a line over a little in front of the vent; all its spines simple; the 

 second the longest, the remainder gradually decreasing ; second 

 dorsal fin beginning a little behind the first, and ending over the last 

 ray of the anal ; all its rays, except the first, branched at their sum- 

 mits ; anal fin corresponding with the last dorsal, but somewhat 

 shorter ; pectorals reaching as far as the first ray of the anal ; ven- 

 trals commencing close under the base of the pectorals, the tips of 

 the rays reaching a little anterior to the vent ; three detached rays 

 under the base of each pectoral fin, the last ray the longest ; tail lu- 

 nated. Number of fin rays — 



1st D. 9; 2d D. 18; P. 11; C. 12; A. 17; V. 6. Branchial 

 rays 7. 



The principal character which distinguishes this species 

 from the rest of the gurnards is the form of the scale, which 

 crosses the lateral line. (See Plate XVIII.) There is, how- 

 ever, a British species (T. lineata) that has not, as yet, 

 been noticed on the Scottish coast, in which the lateral line 

 is also crossed by lines, but these lines, instead of reaching 

 only a short way down the sides, pass round as far as the 

 anal Jin. (See Plate XIX.) 



The Red Gurnard occurs, on the Devonshire coast, in 

 great numbers ; and, on some occasions, thousands of them 

 may be seen exposed for sale daily, especially in those small 

 towns where the trawl-boat fishing is carried on. Mr Yar- 

 rell states that " it is very common in Ireland, and is taken 

 from Waterford on the south up the eastern shore to Lon- 

 donderry in the north, but seldom found larger than twelve 



