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Observations on some recent examples of remarkable Border 

 Fishes. By Mr Andrew Brotherston, Kelso. 



The following are some of the more interesting fishes that 

 have passed through my hands during the past year : — 



I. The Smooth Gurnard (Trigla Icevis), Mont. Flem.=The 

 Sapphiriue Gurnard ( Trigla hirundo), Yarrell, not of Fleming. On 

 May 12, 1876, a very fine specimen of this beautiful fish was 

 caught by some fishermen near Berwick. It was following a 

 line which was being hauled in, when it came so near the boat 

 that it was " gaffed." A peculiar characteristic of this family is 

 the three detached rays or tentacles at the base of each pectoral 

 fin, which give them the appearance of having feet ; and there 

 is no doubt of their being used by the Gurnards in much the 

 same manner, and for like purposes as the feet in other animals. 

 M. Deslongchamps has given a description of their mode of pro- 

 cedure at the bottom of the sea. "In 1839, he had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing their movements in one of the artificial sea- 

 ponds or fishing traps, surrounded by nets on the shores of 

 Normandy. He saw a score of Gurnards closing their fins 

 against their sides like the wings of a fly in repose, and without 

 any movement of their tails, walking along the bottom by means 

 of the six free rays, which they placed successively on the 

 ground. They moved rapidly forwards or backwards, to the 

 right and left, groping in all directions with these rays as if in 

 search of small crabs. * * * During these movements, they re- 

 semble insects running along the sands." — (Zand and Water). 

 They have also been seen out of the water climbing among the 

 rocks, and walking on the sands. There has been some confu- 

 sion regarding the name of this fish. Fleming's description of 

 the Smooth Gurnard (T Icevis) agrees with this example, but his 

 Sapphirine G. (T. hirundo) is different. In Yarrell's "Brit. 

 Fishes," 2nd ed., I can find no notice of Fleming's T. hirundo, 

 but his T. Icevis is given as a synonym of T. hirundo, Linn. The 

 number of fin-rays, as given by these two authorities, differs — 

 Fleming— D. 9—16 : P. 9 : Y. 6 : A. 15. 

 Yarrell — D. 9—16 : P. 11 : Y. 1 + 5 : A. 15 : 0. 11. 

 In the above specimen the rays of the pectoral were nine, 

 agreeing with Fleming. It will thus be seen that the number of 

 fin-rays is not always to be depended upon as a distinctive 



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