FOUR-HORNED TRUNKFISH. SfiT 
designedly, for the purpose of rendering what was strange and 
remarkable still more hideous or curious. 
It is to one of these fish, as referred to above, to which 
I would call the attention of British naturalists as laying 
claim to be regarded as a lately-discovered, and of course 
rare visitor to our shores, the evidence of which we shall 
produce; but that any of this genus should be met with, even 
in the warmer seas of Europe, was not thought of until the 
researches of Risso led it to be understood that a few 
examples which belonged to two species of this family had 
come within his notice in the neighbourhood of Nice. These 
were Ostracion cubtcus and O. trigonus of Linnseus; and this 
writer assures us of the certainty of what he relates concerning 
them, although he appears to have been prepared for the 
incredulity with which his statement would be received by 
many naturalists. A third species seems to be hinted at by 
Dr. Gulia, in his “Tentamen Ichthyologise Melitensis,” (p. 40 
of the Discourse sulla Ittlologia,) but as no description is given, 
and it had not come under his own inspection, we are not 
at liberty to refer it to the species presently to be described. 
But the question is of no small interest as regards the 
authority on which we claim for our own the example of 
which we give a figure taken from the specimen; and to this 
the reply is short and precise. The first intimation of the 
alleged fact of the capture on our coast of an example of 
the Four-horned Trunkfish was received from Robert Lakes, 
Esq., of St. Austle, himself well known as a naturalist, chiefly 
in the department of ornithology; and, as regards veracity, 
he is beyond a doubt. Such a curious fact as the taking this 
fish on the coast of Cornwall could not fail to lead to further 
inquiry, in reply to which the fish itself was sent, with the 
assurance that it had been obtained from a fisherman of 
Mervagissey, on the south coast of Cornwall, and that this 
man affirmed he had taken it in a net at some rather con- 
siderable distance from land; and it was added that this 
fisherman was considered to be of sufficient credit to warrant 
the belief that the information he gave might be relied on. 
It appears certain that this individual could not have been 
influenced by any motive of gain in the information he gave 
about this fish, for the remuneration given him was slight, if. 
