658 Marvels of the Universe 
Photo bu) an PTET Pare ee =a eer a: [Z. Step, ELS. 
THE RED GURNARD. 
A species allied to the Sapphirine Gurnard in the coloured plate. The Gurnards are “ bottom-fish,”’ searching for their 
prey in the ocean’s bed rather than seeking it in the mid waters, for by their shape they are prevented from swimming 
quickly. 
this part of the body, and now in that, have come into being whereby nearly-allied animals have 
been enabled to avoid competition by seizing hold of food-sources otherwise inaccessible. On the 
other hand, indeed, the most striking features of some animals are those which have been evolved 
to enable them to avoid being eaten ! 
The search for examples illustrating these facts need neither be long nor laborious ; any animal 
we chose to select at random would suffice. Let us take the cases afforded by the fishes in the 
coloured plate. To begin with the uppermost figure, the Sapphirine Gurnard of our own 
seas. Observations on the habits of this fish in its native element are naturally well-nigh 
impossible, but could we trace its daily life we should probably find that its vivid hues were, 
in part, at any rate, due to the “ avoidance of being eaten ” to which reference has just been 
made. But we are concerned more particularly with the more direct evidence as to bodily modifica- 
tions. Considerations of space forbid a minute examination of this strange creature ; but we shall 
find enough for our purpose in the great breast-fins alone. Immediately in front of these will be 
noticed long, lean fingers. Now these have been formed by reducing the web of the fin so 
as to set free the first three or four of the fin-supports, which now serve partly as legs for 
crawling along the bottom of the sea, and partly as sensitive fingers, or organs of touch, where- 
with to find the daily bread. Very well. A cousin of the Gurnard, one of the flying-fishes 
known as the Flying Gurnard, has retained all its fin-supports in their original position, and has 
further enormously increased the size of the whole fin so as to form a very efficient pair of wings, 
enabling its possessor to take considerable flights in mid-air—to avoid being eaten. The 
Golden-finned Parrot-fish—one of the Great Australian Barrier Reef fishes—is remarkable, not 
only on account of its gorgeous coloration, but also because of the peculiar armature of its jaws, 
which, like those of its numerous relations, have become modified to form a parrot-like beak whereby 
pieces of living coral may be bitten off andeaten. The vivid carmine, sapphire-spotted, Richardson’s 
Plectropoma is, in spite of his beautiful appearance, one of the rave ening wolves of the sea, as is 
