84 ACANTHOPTERYGII. TRIGLAD^. 
wards till the object was effected. While thus j 
engaged it would suffer itself to be taken in the 
hand, but repelled any attack made on the nest, ; 
and quitted not its post so long as I remained ; | 
and to those nests that were left dry between tide 
marks, the guardian fish always returned with the 
returning tide, nor did they quit the post to any 
great distance till again carried away by the | 
receding tide.” 1 
It is right to observe that Mr. Couch, who in | 
his Illustrations of Instinct,” quotes both of the | 
above papers, suspects that the nest, in the latter j 
case, was that of the Shanny [Blennius pJiolis)^ 
and that the Sticklebacks watched it with a very 
different motive from parental affection. We 
do not, however, concur in this gentleman’s 
conclusions. 
Genus Trigla. (Linn.) 
The Gurnards have the head somewhat four- 
sided, more or less resembling the half of a 
pyramid divided vertically ; hence the profile re- 
sembles that of the Surmullets. It is, as has been 
intimated, defended by long shields, those of the 
gill-cover and shoulder terminating in a spine or 
lancet. The body is lengthened, rounded above, | 
with the belly flattened, tapering from the head ii 
backwards ; clothed with small prickly scales, i 
firmly embedded in the skin, very compactly f 
arranged, and often accompanied by rows of i; 
spines placed along the lateral line. There are | 
two dorsal fins, the first short but high, with jl 
spinous rays ; the second long, with rays flexible [| 
at the tips. The pectorals are large, with strong 
