THEEE-SPINED SPICKEEBACK. 
173 
are quite pacific, appear fat, as if full of spawn, never 
assume the brilliant colours of the male, by whom, as far as I 
have observed, they are unmolested. The bite of these little 
furies is so severe, that I have frequently known it, when 
inflicted on the tail, produce mortification, and, consequently, 
death. They also use their lateral spines with such fatal 
effect, that, incredible as it may appear, I have seen one 
during a battle absolutely rip his opponent quite open, so 
that he sunk to the bottom and died. Another fact in the 
history of these interesting little creatures also deserves notice; 
it is curious, and to me ruiaccountable. Previously to death 
they re-assume aU their brilliant colours, which they may 
have lost from defeat; but they arc not so clear and distinct 
as when in the height of their power.” 
It was one of the results of Baron Cuvier’s more attentive 
examination of the diflPerences among the species hitherto 
considered identical, that he was led to separate what had 
before been regarded as one species of Gasterosteus into 
three, on the foundation of the different degrees of arming 
of the plates which cover the sides. On the authority of 
such a competent observer this division of species at first 
met with little opposition, and accordingly it found a j)lace 
in Mr. Yarrell’s “History of British Fishes,” where each of 
these supposed species is individually represented. From the 
first, however, Mr. Jenyns expressed his doubts, which he 
stated in his work referred to at the beginning of this 
article. Kenewed enquiry has gone on to shew further, that 
if these three varieties are to be definitely distinguished from 
each other, several others must fall under the same distinction; 
since there is no exact number of increase or decrease to the 
plates on the sides, on which characters it was the definitions 
were built. And these are not the only parts which are liable 
to variation, although the others have not been taken into 
account by writers whose attention has been directed chiefly 
to systematic arrangement. But if for the sake of simplicity, 
as well as of truth, we can consider the British species of 
this family that are marked by three or four free dorsal 
spines, as only varieties of one, we may with confidence 
affirm that no known kinds of fishes are equally disposed to vary 
their forms or change their apparent character. I shall best 
VOL. I. 2 0 
