19 
ELLECK. 
red-fish, soedier. red gurnard. ROTCHET. 
Lueerna sive cucuUus, 
Tviqla cnculns, 
Willoughby; p. 28], tab. a. 6. 
Artedt. 
Yaerell; Br. Fishes, vol. i, p. 38. 
In most writers there appears to be great imcertaintv as 
regards this very common species; which, therefore, we must 
describe and represent from our own knowledge, with little 
reference to the authority of others. That the appearance and 
oui may vaiy on different coasts of the kingdom we can 
readily suppose; but the principal difficulty appears to have 
arisen from confounding it with a kindred species, which Bloch 
as given an account of under the name of Trujla pini, and 
which I suppose to be the same with Bloch’s Gurnard of Mr. 
xarrell. 
The Elleck is caught on the west coast of England and 
leland at all seasons; and it is known also at the extremity 
of Scotland; where, however, as I learn from C. W. Peach, 
Esq., of Wick, It IS in such little esteem as food, as for the 
most part to be thrown aside as worthless. In England they 
meet with a ready sale; and it is their smaller size only tha^ 
places them lower than the Tubfish and Piper in public 
estimation. The usual habit of this species, as of the whole 
family is to keep near the bottom in moderately deep water- 
and there they feed on shell-fish, crabs, and smi fisies, with 
a variety of other creatures inhabiting the bottom of the sea. 
hey also take a bait freely, but are caught in the greatest 
abundance with trawls. I have found them with spawn well 
developed at the opposite seasons of January, April and 
J une. ^ ’ 
