Fishes. 1403 



in its habits: it possesses the vagrant habits of all the others, in 

 addition to a few peculiarities of its own. All the Gurnards live 

 equally well in the depths of the sea and at the surface, and hence are 

 frequently caught on sandy soils by the trawl nets, in mid-water by 

 the hook, and I have known them enclosed by a pilchard seine in mis- 

 take for pilchards, and the present species will frequently start several 

 feet into the air, so that it might be called the flying gurnard. 



Gray Gurnard, T. gurnardus. This is the most common on the 

 Cornish shores of all the British species. So common is it occasion- 

 ally, that it is considered a pest by the hook-fishermen. I have seen 

 a bushel sold for sixpence, and even at that price the quantity has 

 been so great that they could not find a purchaser, and they were 

 therefore carried away in carts for manure. This species, is 

 generally of a gray or grayish brown colour, and about a foot or six- 

 teen inches in length ; yet I have seen a specimens which I could refer 

 to no other species than the present, two feet, four inches long, and 

 of a bright copper colour. 



Bloch's Gurnard, T. Blochii. I have seen a single specimen of 

 this species, caught in a trawl in Mount's Bay. 



The Shining Gurnard, T. lucerna. The late Mr. E. Chirgwin in- 

 formed me that he had seen a specimen of this fish, caught off Tol- 

 Pedn-Penwith, near the Land's End. 



The whole of the Gurnards take a bait readily, and feed on almost 

 anything, yet their favourite food is small crustaceans. Their habits 

 are wandering, hence they are sometimes abundant, and at others 

 rare. They are most commonly to be found in about twenty fathoms 

 of water, but frequently much nearer the shores. They spawn dur- 

 ing the latter part of winter as a general rule, but some are caught in 

 spawn about July and August. In examining the eyes of this genus, 

 a small quadrangular muscle will be found to arise from the edge of 

 the sclerotic, at the circumference of the iris, at its inferior or posterior 

 margin, which passes obliquely upwards, forwards, and inwards, and 

 is inserted into the inferior circumference of the lens near the canal of 

 Petit. It is well supplied with nerves, and its action appears to be to 

 draw the lens obliquely forwards and downwards. It is found in the 

 Gadidae and many other fish, and regulates the focus of vision. 



Bullhead, Coitus gobio. Miller's thumb. Common in gently run- 

 ning streams. 



Sea Scorpion, C. scorpius. Common in pools in harbours. When 

 caught, it makes a croaking kind of noise, opens its gill-covers, and 

 erects the spines of its head and stiffens its whole body, as if pre- 



