COTTID^E. 63 



spines : angle of the preopercle with two or three denticnlations : opercular spine 

 strong, and larger than that at the shoulder, while the opercle above the spine is 

 deeply emarg'inated so as to cause it to have a pointed prominence : coracoid with 

 a very strong spine. Two spines at occiput in the young. Teeth — villiform ones 

 on the jaws and vomer, none on the palatines or tongue. Fins — dorsal spines of 

 moderate strength, the second being rather the longest, equalling the distance 

 between the anterior end of the snout and the posterior margin of the eye, 

 they are roughened on their anterior edge. Pectoral does not quite reach the 

 commencement of the anal and is rather shorter than the ventral. Caudal 

 emarginate. Scales — small. Lateral-line — armed with about 74 spinous points 

 which are most distinct in the immature. Stomach and ccecal appendages similar 

 to T. hirundo. Air-bladder — notched at its anterior extremity and ending in two 

 obtuse rounded points. Colours — these vary widely, in some there are no white 

 spots, the upper half of the body being of a slaty-gray, conjoined with which a 

 black blotch usually exists on the first dorsal fin (T. Blocliii) : this dorsal blotch 

 is, as a rule, present in all specimens, although in some it is faint or merges into 

 the colour of the remainder of the fin, while it usually becomes lost in examples 

 kept long in spirit : occasionally the dorsal blotch instead of being round is 

 semicircular. The white spots on the sides may run into narrow and sinuous lines ; 

 or else there may be a dark net- work surrounding light spaces. The dorsal blotch 

 is sometimes encircled by a light ring. 



Varieties. — Trigla Blocliii having a black spot on the first dorsal fin and no 

 white spots on the body, has been considered a distinct species. Parnell showed 

 it to be a variety, and Thompson records instances of both it and T. gurnardus, 

 likewise of the intermediate forms, observing that without having traced the 

 changes from youth upwards, one could hardly believe in the modifications which 

 really take place. As this fish increases in size the granulations extend over the rays 

 of the first dorsal fin and are not confined to the three or four anterior ones only. 



Couch believed that he had twice obtained Trigla Blochii or else a species 

 nearly allied to it, and of which he gives a figure, plate lxix. Like T. gurnardus 

 it is said to have the lateral-line rough, the roughness formed of small obtuse 

 points. 



Tarrell seems never to have obtained Bloch's gurnard but named it from 

 Bloch's apparently erroneous figure ; his illustration shows the first spine of the 

 dorsal fin the highest, but in his second edition it is reduced to lower than the 

 second spine and it is similarly represented in the third edition. I have received 

 from Professor Giglioli of the Florence Museum an Italian example of this fish 

 which does not differ from the British variety. 



Names. — Gray gurnard : hardhead. In Scotland, crooner or croonach (perhaps 

 from croon " to croak ") : goivdie, girnat and croonyal, in Moray Frith 

 according to Gordon (Zoologist, p. 3458)/ Knoud or nowd, Ireland. Penhaiam 

 Uwijd and penhaiemyn, Welsh. Le grondin or grondin, French. Be Mein poon 

 and knoshaen, Dutch. 



Dr. Johnston observes that crooner may Mve reference either to the hard and 

 and somewhat peculiarly shaped head of the fish, from croon the top of the head ; 

 or it may be derived from the verb croon — viz., to hum an air in an unmusical 

 tone, because of the peculiar noise which the fish sometimes utters on being taken 

 from the water. Thompson describes the sounds emitted by this fish as a kind 

 of snoring noise. 1 



Habits. — Gregarious, and said to be the least sensible to variations of 

 temperature of the whole of the genus. At the Westminster Aquarium they are 

 found to be the most difficult to keep alive ; perhaps they are unable to bear 

 confinement. Pennant, Couch^ and others, remark upon their being fond of 

 sporting near the surface to which they mount with the apparent object of 

 enjoyment, as when there they move along at a slow space, rising and sinking in 

 the water for a short distance and uttering short grunts as if of satisfaction. At 

 other times they appear asleep, showing no signs of animation until an attempt is 

 made to take hold of them. 



