Page 159

( T59 )
tail, in order to give them moticn.  There
is a very great variety of this genus of Fiffies.
The Sea Scorpion is the lower figure in
the plate: the mouth is pretty wide, and
without teeth: the eye has a fine red iris:
the noifrils are placed a little before the
eyes: the head is flattifli in its middle;
but over each eye there appears a ridge
with teeth or rifings from it: the gills on
each fide have (harp horny fpurs on their
edges tending backwards, which I fuppofe
was the reafon of its name: the body is
almoft as wide as it is deep, it being a thick
Fifh : the under fide is of a filverifl colour,
tinged with a little red : the upper fide is
of a duflky brown fprinkled with fmall
black fpots, with fome larger clouds of
black: the dark on the back, and the light
colour on the belly, join in a confufed pec-
tinated manner: it hath a lateral line from
head to tail, and alfo two fins on the back,
one on the belly behind the vent, and the
tail-fin; thefe are compofed of tranfparent
wvebs or membranes; the fpines that fpread
and fLipport them are orange-coloured and
hl ick : the fins behind the gills are orange-
coloured: the fpines are   fpotted  with
blacs : there is a pair of narrow  fins or
feelcrs under the fore part of the belly, of
a whitiflh colour: thev 1h ve each of thiem
only three fpincs. This FIih was frel(i at
tie time I drew it, and was then ffiedding
its If awn : the grains or eggs wer-e of the
lize of rape feeds, and of a very red co-
lour : it was taken in the mnonth of JanuatUy.
My   obliging friend John Fothergill,
M. D. favoured me with the Horned Fifbi,
which   was broulht from    the ifland of
_\ladajafcar. I do not find any thing yet
milieu, comr*    dans les autres Poiz/ons, ni
mneme aucune arretef; mais aulieu de cela,
des fubJlances cartilagineufes, communicant
avec les nageoires et ta queue, pour les mettre
en mouvement.    Ce genre comprend une tres
grande variete' de Pol//ns.
Le Scorpion de Mer eJI reprefnte' par
la figure infe'rieure de la planche: la gueule
efJ alez grande, et Jans dents: I'iris de i'oeil
eJI d'un beau rouge: les nafeaux font place's un
peli de-vant les yeux: le milieu de la tete efi
applati: mais on voit audefus de chaque oeil
un rebord en Jbrme de /illon, d'ou fortent des
dents, ou elevations pointuus : les ouies ont de
chaque co'te' a leurs bords des eperons pointuts,
d'une fu4Ilance femblable a de la corne, qui
pointent en arrie're, ce quli ? ce queje fuppofe
ej? la raifon du nom qu'on lii a donne': ie corps
eji prefqu'azeji large que haut, car- c'eJ/ tin PoaJ-
Jon fort (pais: le ventre / d'un blanc ar-
gente', nuance' d'un peu de rouge: le dos eji
d'un brun obfcur, parfime' de petites taches
noires, et nue' de plus grandes marques d'un
noir mcins obfcur: la couleur obfjure diu dos,
et la cozJt'ur claire du ventreJejoignent d'uze
waniere £onfzIje et dente/le : il a ut'e lignei
latetrale de;uis la ftefteju/ u' la queue, et deuv
nageoires /r le dos : ii en a al</i mne audeffius
par dela l'anus, outre la queue: elles font
compoJees de   ti//us ou mnembranes tranjIa-
rjentes : itS epines oufibres qui les etendent et
los fuppGrdent'fint orange et noir: les nageoires
de derriere les ouieS font orange, ies epines en
fibl. tachciu'i's ae noir : il a  JGUs le devant dum
'Ote17tre une faiire de nagecirtes ctroites et Ion-
gU ftis,  qi.i fin'  i/'ajhtres, chacune des
quoI7'es n'a  a', trois fires.  Ce Poi/Pn  it
Jfiais qc anidtj  l' Pai  jJ>  et il depo/oit rit s
ccz,/s : chaq' e oectf et'oit de la grlcnur a un
gra'in de niavltle, et Joit rctige: ii avoit iteJ
plris azll N;ois tie Jan viTr.
Mr. Y. FothcrgilI, M7      D.  vj'a fait ie
platiir de tne prefer i, ]'of   n  c57rnu, qui
aq)oi elte! apporze dle li de' A  Ja.ga/2ar: je
72'am encore rien 'v'e;te  V'u, / 7 ie rte61enb'.