530 



LIST OF WISHES 



to his edition of the " Systema Naturae," he 

 subjoins a query, " An solo sexu a Lyra diver- 

 sus?" To this, I think, I am able to answer in 

 the affirmative. Although the Dragonet is men- 

 tioned by English authors as being a rare fish on 

 their coasts, it is rather common near the mouth 

 of the Frith of Forth. Both sorts are there found, 

 in water from 12 to 20 fathoms deep. They are 

 often caught on the haddock lines, which are baited 

 with muscles : they are, however, seldom brought 

 ashore, the fishermen despising them* Having, 

 some summers ago, expressed a wish to the New- 

 haven fishermen, that they would procure for 

 me a few go w dies (as they call them), I soon 

 found myself overstocked with specimens. In the 

 course of dissecting and preserving some of each, 

 it struck me as remarkable, that the gemmeous 

 dragonets were all males, and the sordid dragonets 

 all females. I now considered it as a fortunate 

 circumstance, that numbers were brought to me, 

 — presuming that if I should find the gemmeous 

 dragonets to be uniformly milters, and the sordid 

 dragonets to be uniformly spawners, I might be 

 permitted to conclude, that they are only male 

 and female of one and the same species. I accord- 

 ingly opened every specimen which I received, to* 

 the amount of some dozens ; and the result entire- 

 ly supported that opinion. Both sorts were 

 brought to me nearly in equal numbers ; and from 

 the fishermen I learned, that they were taken pro- 



