288 BLACK GOBY. Class IV. 



GENUS XXIX. GOBY.* 



Eyes placed near each other. 

 Fins ventral united. 

 Rays branchiostegous four. 



1. Black. Gobio niger. Rondel. 200. lorum quatuordecim. Arted. 



Gesner pise. 395. Synon. 46. 



Schwartzer Goeb. Schonevel- Gobius niger. Lin. Syst. 44g. 



de, 36. Gm. Lin. 1196. 



Sea Gudgeon. Rock-fish. Wil. Le Boulerot. Block ichth. ii. 



Ichth. 206. Raii Syn. pise. 4. tab. 38. f. 2. 3. 



76. De la Cepede Hist, des Pois- 



Gobius ex nigricante varius, sons, ii. 552. 



pinna dorsi secunda ossicu- 



XT is to this fish that naturalists have given 

 the synonym of Ku>Sio$, and Gobio, names of cer- 

 tain species mentioned by Aristotle, Pliny, and 

 Oppian. The two first have not left any cha- 

 racters for us to distinguish them by ; and Op- 

 pian at once shews that he never intended this 

 kind, as he has placed it among those which are 

 armed with a poisonous spine. Aristotle Avas 



* Formed from Gobius, the generic name bestowed by natu- 

 ralists on these fish. 



