Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/103

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
GURNARDS.
89

bone of the shoulder. Besides which, the whole surface of the head is roughened, like a rasp, with minute knobs running in various fantastic lines and curves.

The ground colour of the upper parts is a dull olive; that of the under parts silvery white, the whole tinged with pale red; this latter hue is also distributed about in irregular mottlings, especially along the sides, on the mouth and chin, and on the finger-like pectoral rays. The eyes are large, and golden-yellow. This species attains the length of two feet or more.

The scales are very minute, more or less

SCALE OF SAPPHIRINE GURNARD (magnified).
a, Natural size.

angular in their outline, free from prickles: the concentric lines (striæ) are fine, close-set and numerous, and are interrupted by lines of clear