THE GURNARD. 24 1 
carting from their native element ; and while they en- 
deavour to avoid the purfuit of the dolphin below, fall- 
ing into the power of enemies ftill more dextrous and in- 
veterate in the aereal element. The flights of thefe am- 
biguous animals are but l'liort j for as foon as their wings 
dry, they drop back into the i'ubjacent waves without 
a poffibility of rifing till they are again wetted there : 
It is from the futiden drying of their wings, that they of- 
ten fall upon the decks of velfeis* particularly thofe that 
double the Gape of Good Hope. Thefe fillies are feen in 
the Mediterranean, but feldom venture farther from the 
line ; none of thofe that frequent tbe Britijh feas are ca- 
pable of rifing from their native element *. 
fhe Gray Gurnard f. 
The colour of this filh, upon the back, is a dirty green, 
variegated fometimes with black, but more frequently 
with clay-coloured fpots : Below the lateral line, which 
is remarkably rough, the colours are more diluted, and 
the white fpots more frequent, till you approach the 
belly, Which is filvery. The head is large, covered with 
bony plates, of which the higheft that covers the top of 
the head, runs backwards* and terminates in two iliarp 
horns or fpines. The fnout, and upper part of the eyes* 
are alfo fortified in the fame manner by fpines. The 
Vol. III. H h jaws 
* Vide Willough. et Marcgr. de pifeib. Bray, 
f Gurnardus Grifeus, Will. Trigla Gurnardus, Lin, SyS, 
