Class IV. GEMMEOUS DRAGONET. 165 



name we have taken the liberty of forming, from 

 the diminutive Dracunculus^ a title given it by 

 Rondektius, and other authors. The Englifh wri- 

 ters have called it the Yellow Gurnard, which 

 having no one cnarafler of the Gurnard genus, 

 we think ourfelves obliged to drop that name. 



It is found as far north as Norway'^ and Spitz- Place. 

 hergen^ and as far fouth as the Mediterranean fea, 

 and is not unfrequent on the Scarborough coafls, 

 where it is taken by the hook in thirty or forty fa- 

 thoms water. It is often found in the ftomach of 

 theCod-fifh. 



This fpecics grows to the length of ten or twelve Descrip. 

 inches : the body is flender, round, and fmooth. 



The .head is large, and flat at the top ; in the 

 hind part are two orifices, thro' which it breathes, 

 and alfo forces out the water it takes in at the 

 mouth, in the fame manner as the cetaceous fifh. 



The apertures to the gills are clofed :. on the 

 end of the bones that cover them is a very fingular 

 trifurcated fpine. 



The eyes are large, and placed very near each 

 other on the upper part of the head, fo that they 

 look upwards \ for which reafon it has been ranked 



* We have received it, with other curiofities, from that 

 well-meaning prelate, Erich Pontoppidatiy Bifhop of Bergen, 

 He v/as alfo Vice-Chancellor of the Univeriity of Copenhagen, 

 in which ftation he died, December 20th. 1764, aged 66, 

 much refpeded by his countrymen. 



M 3 among 



