134 THE SEA-SCORPION FAMILY. 



Another example measuring about ll'o mm. was procured 

 on the 20th June. A considerable amount of black pigment 

 occur.s on the head and cheeks, and a dark area exists at the 

 first dorsal fin, and two behind, as in the common form (short- 

 spined Gottiis). Tlie breast-fins are large, reaching behind the 

 middle of the body. The ventral fins are still comparatively 

 short. Four prominent spines exist on the front gill-cover 

 (pre-operculum). The four tubercles on the top of the head are 

 well marked, besides a supra-orbital and a turbinal spine. On 

 each side of the dorsal fins anteriorly is the series of elevated 

 scales which are continued backward to the termination of the 

 second dorsal. A somewhat smaller example (10 mm.) is care- 

 fully described by Mr Holt^ 



The Red Gurnard. {Trigla cuculus, L.) 



This species, which is not common on the North-East 

 coast, though frequent on the southern shores, both east and 

 west, spawns about the same period as the grey gurnard. 

 Its eggs have been described both by Mr Cunningham ° and 

 Mr Holt^ and have probably been occasionally procured in the 

 tow-nets off the Forth and the neighbourhood. The eggs 

 (Plate I, fig. 10) measure from 1'47 mm. to 1'61 mm. — a 

 considerable variation, while the oil-globule ranges from '30 to 

 •33 mm., and is copper-coloured. In the earlier stages, several 

 oil-globules are present, but by-and-by they coalesce, so that, 

 on the escape of the larva, only a single globule remains, and 

 its colour gradually fades. Cunningham was successful in 

 hatching the eggs, and found the larva to be 3'7 mm. long. 

 It bears a general resemblance to that of the grey gurnard, 

 though the oil-globule is not thrust so close to the posterior 

 border of the yolk as in the latter species. The pigment (black 

 and oi-ange or yellowish orange) appears to correspond very 

 closely in the two species. 



1 Tram. J!. D. S. v. 2, p. 119. 



2 Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc. No. 1, p. 12, 1889. 



' Sc. Trans. Roy. Diib. Soc. v. 2, p. 31, 1893. 



