1-76 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



or fourteen inches in length."" On the east coast of Scot- 

 land it is seldom seen in any numbers. In the Firth of 

 Forth a few are taken occasionally with lines during the sum- 

 mer months, and a solitary specimen may sometimes be 

 found entangled in the salmon nets at the lower part of the 

 Firth. The flesh is firm and well flavoured, and held in 

 high estimation as food. It spawns about the month of 

 June, and continues out of season until August ; from 

 October till March it is in the greatest perfection for the 

 table. It feeds principally on Crustacea. 



Trigla hirundo.* — The Saj-phirine Gurnard. 



Specific Characters. — Lateral line plain and smooth ; scales entire 

 at their free margins, not ciliated ; pectorals reaching beyond the se- 

 cond ray of the anal. (See PI. XX.) 



Description. — From a specimen fifteen inches in length. Body rather 

 elongated and rounded, tapering from the head to the base of the 

 tail ; head of a square form, falling obliquely from the forehead to the 

 end of the nose. Colour of the head, sides, and back, brownish-red, 

 tinged with green ; pectorals on their inner surface bluish-green, 

 edged and spotted with bright blue ; on their outer surface brownish- 

 red ; dorsal and caudal fins reddish; ventrals, anal, and abdomen, 

 whitish. . Scales rather small, oval, and entire ; head rough ; cheeks 

 granulated, radiating from different centres ; eyes large, placed high 

 on the head; two spines on the upper and anterior edge of each or- 

 bit ; operculum with two short spines on the upper and posterior 

 border ; scapular spines extending a short way back, over the base of 

 the pectorals. Lateral line straight, perfectly smooth, and slightly 

 elevated, commencing over the base of the scapular spine, taking a 

 straight course to the base of the tail, where it bifurcates and extends 

 down the caudal fin ; composed of a number of short straight lines 

 slightly bent at the lower extremity ; under jaw longer than the up- 

 per ; teeth small and fine in both jaws, and on front of the vomer; 

 dorsal ridge in young specimens strongly serrated ; when two feet 

 in length the serratures become crenated, and rough. First dor- 

 sal fin commencing over the base of the pectorals, of a triangular 



* Trigla hirundo, Cuv., Yarr., Pen., Don., Linn. T.lcevis. Mont., Flem. 

 Sapphirine Gurnard, Tub-fish, Smooth-sides. 



