THE TRIGLID^ OR GURNARDS. 5$ 



portant^ has little to do with our present purpose^ which 

 is merely to trace the internal relations of the Triglidce as 

 manifested among the genera. Peristedion is known by- 

 its lengthened shape and its cuirassed scales^ which form 

 several rows of spines on each side of the body ; and it has, 

 like the sturgeons^ soft cirri or beards on the lower jaw, 

 characters altogether peculiar to this form : the pectoral 

 fins are moderate and rather longer than the ventrals. 

 Then comes the restricted sub-genus, Prionotus, where 

 the pectoral fins are greatly increased, so that they 

 reach their highest developement in this group, although 

 not in the next. We separate, under the sub-generic 

 name of Ornichthys those American gurnards that have 

 the caudal fin rounded, in opposition to Prionotus, which 

 is truncate or lunate, as in all the other divisions : this new 

 group may possibly form the passage between Prionotus 

 and Dactylophorus, but we place Ornichthys within the 

 confines of the TriglidcB, that the regular series of the 

 digitated gurnards should not be broken. The union of 

 Prionotus, as now restricted, with Ornichthys, is effected 

 so completely by our well known T. Lyra, or piper- 

 gurnard, that the presence of dorsal spines alone pre- 

 vents this fish from being classed" as a Prionotus. 



{55.^ The genus Dactylophorus is more especially 

 composed of the flying gurnards, so called from the 

 faculty they are stated to possess of sustaining themselves 

 in the air for a short time, something like the flying fish ; 

 but we must confess never to have once witnessed this 

 sight during near nine years spent on the various coasts 

 of the Mediterranean, where, as authors say, these flying 

 fish may be seen '^ in profusion." The immense size of 

 their pectorals certainly appear to justify this alleged 

 habit, for they far exceed those of the gurnards. The 

 variations yet known are very few, so that we are only 

 acquainted, at present, with two of the types. 



{56.) The little fish forming the genus Cephalocanthus 

 {Jig. 10.) has the rounded caudal of Ornichthys, and the 

 short obtuse head of Dactylophorus. Of the remaining 

 genera of the Triglidce, mostly represented by single 



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