420 APPENDIX. 



torals, the other with these fins much longer ; two of which we 

 shall now describe, are on the coasts of Sicily, while aBrltlsh 

 species, also confounded under the specific name of IIirundo,was 

 long ago defined by our celebrated naturalist Montagu, as 

 the T. Icevis. This latter is the species which makes the nearest 

 approach to T. Swainsonii ; and having examined several fresh 

 specimens of both, I shall here intimate the specific characters 

 by which our British species may be known,* This will at once 

 distinguish it from its representative in Sicily, which I shall 

 now describe. 



The largest sized individual of this species I ever saw in the Sicilian 

 markets, where it is common in the winter, was 1 foot 9 inches long. 

 In its broad and depressed head, and in its general structure, it resembles 

 Itevis ; the snout is slightly two-lobed, the extremities having short serra- 

 tures ; tiie spines which arm the head are generally small, considering the 

 size of tlie fish, there are two before the eye, and a smaller one behind ; 

 the occipital spines are much smaller than the scapular or pectoral ones ; of 

 the two others on the gill -covers, the upper is rather less than that of the 

 scapular, while the lower is minute. The pectoral fin exceeds one-half the 

 length of the trunk, but is exactly one-third the entire length of the fish, 

 from til) to tip ; its rays are ten, and doubly forked, the first division 

 being nearly at the base. All these are connected to their extremities, 

 but the la-t or shortest ray is detached half-way from the others, so that 

 it is partly free, as in several of the ScorpcenidLe ; a peculiarity I have not 

 observed inany other Gurnard. Ventral fins little more than half the length 

 of the pectoral, and terminating in a line with the commencement of the 

 second dorsal, the first ray spinous. Caudal fin slightly and unequally 

 lunate, the u(ippr angle being longer than the under, the rays simple, but 

 showing the forked termination of the lateral line, which is perfectly 

 smooth throughout its entire length ; scales very small, soft, and round ; 

 the anal row of spines are >malland simple. 



The anal rays are all simple, excepting the last, which is forked at its 

 base, so as to appear double; those of the second dorsal are forked ; the 

 first being .ather shorter ; the first and the fourth dorsal spine? eqna^ ; the 

 second rather longer than the third, but not equal to the length of 

 the dorsal. 



CoLOLR. — The colour of the head and body seems subject to much varia- 

 tion"; it is generally pale reddish, with clouded waved lines of bluish grey, 

 but soraetimesof as bright a red as the T. Lyra\X\\e sides silvery, and the belly 

 white ; all the fins (except the pectorals) were pale reddish ; the ventral 

 and anal white, the caudal with a blackish cloud or spot .in the middle' 

 The pectoral fins have the last or detached ray perfectly white on both 

 surfaces ; the other rays are also whitish outside, which relieves the 

 blackish grey that spreads all over their outer surface, it is more or less deep 

 in different individuals, but has never any tinge of red, as in the Icevis; 

 the ground colour of their inner surface is dull or cinerious blue, with 

 waved transverse, darker bands, between which there is a tinge of 

 yellowish green ; but the whole fin, on this side only, has a narrow well- 

 defined margin of vivid blue, which loses its brilliancy after the fish has 

 been some little time out of water ; between the first and third ray there is 

 a tinge of pale reddish yellow. 



* Trigla ItEvis, Mont. Pectorals reaching to the base of the anal fin ; orbits 

 with two spines before the eye, but none behind ; lowest ray of the pectoral 

 fin not cleft between the membranes, lateral line smooth ; caudal equally 

 lunate. Montagu is the only writer who has not confounded this with the 

 Hirundo of Britain. 



f At least, specimens in the fish-market, which appeared to be of this 

 species (but not examined^, were of this colour. 



