fides of the breafl:; the wings are a whitiln yellow 
at their bafes; and the marginal fpots are brown. 
Dragon Fly, of a gilded green colour, with 
pale wings and black feet. This fpecies refembles 
the former, except that the tail of the male is den- 
tated, that of the female being compofed of leaves 
lliaped like lances. 
Dragon Fly, v/ith yellowifla wings, the fides 
of the breaft marked with yellow lines, and the tail 
comprifed of two leaves; called by Ray the libella 
with a long (lender body and yellovv^ifla wings. As 
to any farther defcription of this Ipecies, natura- 
lifcs are filent. 
DRAGON-FISH. The Dragon-Fifh, which 
is a fpecies of the trachinus or cottus, is commonly 
known in England by the name of the weever, 
which feems to be a corruption of the French la 
vive; fo called, according to Bellonius, from it's 
being capable offubfifting a confiderable timeout 
of it's native element. It frequently grows to the 
lengdi of twelve inches. The irides are yellov/; 
the under jaw is longer than the upper, Hoping very 
much towards the belly; and the teeth are fmall. 
The back is ftraight; the fides are compreiTed; the 
belly is prominent; the lateral line is even; and 
the covers of the gills are armed with very ftrong 
fpines. The firll dorfal fin is compofed of five 
very ftrong fpines, which, as well as the interven- 
ing membranes, are tinged with black; and the fe- 
.cond confifts of feveral foft rays, commencing juft 
' at the end of the firft, and continuing almoft to the 
tail. The peftoral fins are broad and angular, and 
the ventral fmiall; the vent is placed remarkably 
forward; the anal fin extends to a fmall diftance 
from the tail, and is a little hollowed in the mid- 
dle; the fides are longitudinally marked with two 
or three dirty yellow lines, and tranfverfely by num- 
bers of fmall ones; and the belly is of a filvcry 
hue. 
The qualities of the Dragon-Fifh leeixi to have 
been well known to the ancients, who have enu- 
merated them v/ithout exaggeration. The wounds 
inflicted by it's fpines, which are exceedingly pain- 
ful, are fometimes attended with a violent inflam- 
mation and moft pungent fliooting; and, at others, 
with very malignant fym.ptoms. According to 
the opinion of the vulgar, thefe difagreeable pre- 
faces do not originate from the fmall v/ound which 
this fifh is capable of infli6ting, but a certain ve- 
nom proceeding from the animal itfelf. Whether 
this opinion is founded in truth or conjefture, we 
have not been able to afccrtain. In order, bow- 
ever, to a cure, fome fiihermen rub the part af- 
fefted for a confiderable time with fea-fand; and 
others, with ftaie urine warmed: but iliould the 
wound become dangerous either from the negledl 
or conftitutional infirmities of the patient, the ap- 
plication of fweet oil, and the internal ufe of opium 
and treacle, are judged expedient. 
This fifh buries itfelf in the fand, leaving only 
it's nofe uncovered ; and, notwithftanding the fore- 
going noxious quality afcribed to it, the flefh is 
reckoned pleafant and falubrious. 
DRAGON-SHELL. An appellation given 
hy the virtuofi to a fpecies of concamerated pa- 
tella, or lim>pet. The top is much bent, and ex- 
ternally cinereous, but internally of a bright and 
elegant flefh-colour. It is frequently found ftick- 
ing to the back of a tortoife, as common limpets 
adhere to the fides of rocks; and fome have been 
found affixed to large fhells of the pinna marina 
brought frgm the Eaft Indies. 
D R A 
DRAGONET. Linn^us has given this ge^ 
nus the name of callyonymus, a filh mentioned by 
feveral of the ancients; but their defcriptions of ic 
are fo very incompleat, as to render it impoffible 
to determine with certainty what fpecies they in- 
tended. The ingenious Pliny makes it fynony- 
mous to the uranofcopus, very frequent in the Ita- 
lian feas, but extremely ciifferent from our Dra- 
gonet, which term is ufed to exprefs the dracuncu- 
lus of Rondoletius and others. This fifh is found 
as far north as Norway and Spitzbergen, and as far 
fouth as the Mediterranean feas; but it is frequentlv 
caught on the Yorkfhire coafts ; and is fometimes 
found in the ftomach of the cod. 
Dragonet, Common. This fpecies, to which 
Pennant gives the epithet of gemmefus, grows to 
the length of ten or twelve inches. The body is 
flender, round, and fmooth; the head is large, and 
deprefifed at the top ; and in the hind-part there are 
two orifices, through which it breathes, and eje6ls 
the water received by it's mouth after the manner 
of fetaceous fifhes. The apertures of the gills are 
clofed; and on the end of each of the bones which 
covers them there is a very fingular trifurcated 
fpine. The eyes are large, and placed near each 
other on the fuperior part of the head ; the pupils 
are of a rich fapphirine blue colour, and the irides 
a fiery carbuncle. The upper jaw projefts much 
farther tlian the lower; the teeth are very minute; 
and the mouth is uncommonly large. The pero- 
ral fixns are roundifh, and of a light brown hue; and 
the ventral ones, which are placed before them, 
are very broad, and confift of five branched rays. 
The firft ray of the dorfal fin is fetaceous, and ex- 
tends almoil to half the tail ; but the rays of the 
fecond dorfal fin are of a moderate length, excepc 
the laft, which is protruded far beyond the others. 
The anus is fituated near tlie centre of the belly i 
the anal fin is broad, of which the laft ray is the 
longeft; the tail, which is rounded and long, con- 
fifts of ten rays; the lateral line is ftraight; and the 
membranes of all the fins are extremely thin and 
delicate. The colours of this fifh, which are yel- 
\ow, blue, and white, exhibit a very beautiful 
appearance: the blue in particular is inconceiva- 
bly fplendid, and glows with a brilliancy little in- 
ferior to that of the diamond. 
Pontoppidan calls this fpecies the flying fifh; 
but whether it mjakes ufe of any of it's fins to raife 
itfelf out of the water, as he feems inclined to be- 
lieve it does, we have not been able to determine 
with certainty. 
Dragonet, Mean. This fpecies is greatly in- 
ferior to the former with refpe£l to the beauty of 
it's colours ; being of a dirty yellow hue, mixed 
with white and dufky fpots ; and the belly is entirely 
white. It grows to the length of fix inches and a 
half. The head is comprefTed ; the forehead flopes 
down to the nofe; the eyes are large, and almoft 
contiguous; the mouth is fmall; and the teeth are 
very minute. Over the gills there is a ftrong 
broad trifurcated fpine ; the firft dorfal fin has four 
rays, and the fecond ten ; the perioral fins confift 
of twenty rays of a ferruginous colour fpotted with 
a deeper tinge of the fame ; and the ventral of five 
broad branched rays, refembling thofe of the com- 
mon Dragonet. The anal fin, which is white, 
has ten rays ; and the tail has the fame number. 
In both fpecies they are trifurcated at their extre- 
mities ; and the ray next the anal fin is very fhorc 
in both. 
DRAGOON. The name of a fmall bird of 
the 
