29 
BLOCH’S GURNARD. 
The name of BlocVs Gurnard was given by Mr. Yarrell 
to a species of Trigla, which himself appears never to have 
had an opportunity of examining, but of which a figure was 
published by Bloch, with the name of T. cuculus, or the Bed 
Gurnard; which figure Mr. Yarrell has copied in his “History 
of British Fishes,” although with a significant dilference (which 
we shall have to notice) between that of his first and second 
edition. There is now no doubt that the fish thus represented 
hy Bloch is not the same with the T. cuculus of LiiinEeus; and 
if Bloch has not fallen into an important error, there can be 
no doubt that the species referred to is different from any 
one that has been recognised as inhabiting the British seas. 
The Trigla cuculus of Bloch is shown as having the first ray 
of the spinous dorsal fin conspicuously higher than the 
second, with also a wide dark patch on the border of this 
fin, which Risso, in his description of what he believes the 
same species, makes a portion of its specific character. It is 
certain that in all the British species the contrary of this is 
the case, as regards the relative length of the fin rays; nor can 
we find in the figures given by Willoughby or other writers 
a single instance in which the first ray of the spinous dorsal 
fin overtops the second. After the publication of his first 
edition, Mr. Yarrell appears to have had his suspicions 
awakened on this point; and accordingly we find in the second 
edition of his “ British Fishes,” that the length of this ray is 
brought down to be even slightly lower than the second, although 
no reason is given why this correction is made, and the 
reference is still to Colonel Montagu’s description, in the 
want of an example fiom which to obtain it anew. Montagu 
himself was too close an observer to have passed over without 
notice such a remarkable circumstance of the superior length 
