av 66m ACGONET 131 
have taken the liberty of forming, from the diminu- 
tive Dracunculus, a title given it by Rondeletius, and 
other authors. The Eugl/b writers have called it 
the Yellow Gurnard, which having no one character 
of the Gurnard genus, we think ourfelves obliged 
to drop that name. 
It is found as far north as Spitzbergen, and as far 
fouth as the Mediterranean fea, and is not unfrequent 
on the Scarborough coafts. We have alfo received it 
from Norway, among feveral other curiofities which 
that honeft well-meaning prelate, Erich Pontoppi- 
dan*, made us a prefent of. 
This fpecies grows to the length of ten or twelve 
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 fith. 
The apertures to the gills are clofed: on the end 
of the bones that cover them is a very fingular tri- 
furcated 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 
among the Uranofcop: : the pupils are of a rich fap- 
pharine blue, the irides of a fine yellow. 
The upper jaw projects much farther than the 
lower: the mouth is very wide: the teeth are 
{mall. 
* Bifhop of Bergen. He was alfo vice-chancellor of the 
univerfity of Copenbagen, in which ftation he died, December 20, 
1764, aged 66, much refpected by bis countrymen. 
The. 
Place. 
De {cre 
