340 The Animal-Lore of Shahspeares Time. 
blue and purple markings, and is called in Sussex the 
lizard fish. Modern names for it are yellow gurnard, 
gemmeous dragonet, gowdie, and golden skulpin. 
“ This fish,” writes Mr. Couch, “ is common in the Mediterranean, 
and must therefore have been known to. the ancients, but from their 
want of precision on subjects of natural history, it is not easy to pro¬ 
nounce whether it be the same with the species known to them by the 
name of cdllionymus , which is the term adopted by Linnaeus as the 
designation of the genus in which the yellow skulpin is arranged. Some 
fish which bore this name is referred to by Aristophanes, as sufficiently 
known for popular allusion by the supposed property of possessing a 
large abundance of gall. It is also mentioned by Aristotle, and in later 
times by iElian. Pliny further tells us that with the Romans, in 
addition to the name of callionymus, it was known as the uranoscopus, 
or sky-gazer, because its eyes were on the top of the head, with their 
vision directed upward. This latter circumstance, in connection with 
the former name, which recognises the beauty of its appearance, may 
be supposed to point to the yellow skulpin, which answers to both the- 
particulars.” (British Fishes, vol. ii. p. 174.) 
Du Bartas, who no doubt drew most of bis descrip¬ 
tions from classical sources, makes still clearer the identity 
of this fish by taking notice of its lengthened fin; though 
if we interpret the word admire , to wonder at, his lines- 
would apply equally well to the ugly sea-angler. 
“ 0 ! who can here sufficiently admire 
That gaping-fisli whose glistening eyes aspire 
Still toward heav’n; as if beneath the skies 
He found no object worthy of his eyes. 
As the woodpecker, his long tongue doth lill 
Out of the clov’n pipe of his horny bill, 
To catch the emets ; when, beguil’d with-all, 
The busie swarms about it creep and crawl: 
Th’ urano-scope, so, hid in mud, doth put 
Out of his gullet a long limber gut, 
Most like unto a little worm (at sight) 
Where-at, eft-soons, many small fishes bite : 
Which ther-withall this angler swallows straight, 
Alwaies self-armed with hook, line, and bait.” 
(Page 41.) 
