THE RED GURNARD. 177 



form, and terminating in a line over the end of the ventral rays ; first 

 ray shorter than the second, all sharp and spiny. Second dorsal fin 

 commencing close behind the termination of the first, and ending 

 over the last ray of the anal ; tail lunated ; anal fin corresponding 

 with the second dorsal ; pectorals large, reaching a little beyond the 

 third ray of the anal ; ventrals terminating in front of the anal aper- 

 ture ; three detached rays at the base of the pectorals, of which the 

 last is the longest ; number of fin rays — 



1st D. 9 ; 2d D. 16 ; P. 10 ; V. 6 ; C. 11 ; A. 15. 



Fleming, Pennant, and Donovan, have all very incor- 

 rectly adopted the characters of Linnaeus, in considering the 

 lateral line of this fish rough ; but on close examination, it 

 is found to be perfectly smooth, which misled Montagu in 

 supposing he had obtained a new species, to which he gave 

 the name of Trigla lavis. 



The present fish can be readily distinguished from all the 

 other species of gurnards, except the T. lyra, by the lateral 

 line being smooth and simple, composed of a number of short 

 lines bent at the lower end. (See Plate 20.) 



It differs from T. lyra in many respects, in having the 

 scales of the body entire, scapular spines short, and the se- 

 cond ray of the first dorsal fin the longest ; whereas the scales 

 of lyra are ciliated, scapular spines extending halfway down 

 the pectorals ; the third ray of the first dorsal fin the longest, 

 and the short lines, which form the lateral line, straight. (See 

 Plate 21.) 



This species is common in the Mediterranean, and also 

 on the English coast, more particularly on that of Corn- 

 wall, where it is sometimes taken the length of two feet, al- 

 though the more common length is from a foot to fourteen 

 inches. On the west coast of Scotland it is of frequent oc- 

 currence, but not so on the east coast. In the Firth of 



