of Fishes found in Cornwall. 81 
coloured line runs from the eye to the tail; the anterior bone 
of the gill-cover has a smooth margin, but in the L. Tinca it is 
finely serrated ; the lateral line also forms an acute angle at 
its curve, pointing downward in the Tinca ; in this species 
it has a gentle curvature ; it has twenty spinous rays in the 
dorsal fin. The colour of the back is a dark brown, lighter 
at the sides, saffron-coloured on the belly. It is common“. 
SCIÆNA. 
Basse. S. Labrax.—This fish is particularly fond of Onisci, in 
. pursuit of which it ventures among the rocks in the midst 
of a tempest, as at that time these insects are frequently 
washed from their hiding-places. It also devours sea- 
weeds. E A 
Stone Basse.—This species, which is common in more southern 
latitudes, and appears to be the Pagrus totus argenteus 
D. Sloane, Ray Syn. Pisc. i. 32, approaches the Cornish 
coasts under peculiar circumstances. When a piece of tim- 
ber covered with Bernacles is brought by the currents from 
the regions which these fishes inhabit, considerable numbers 
of them sometimes accompany it. In the alacrity of their 
exertions they pass over the wreck in pursuit of each other, 
and sometimes, for a short space, are left dry on the top, 
until a succeeding wave bears them off again. From the 
circumstance of their being usually found near floating 
wood covered with Bernacles, it might be supposed that 
this shell-fish forms their food ; but this does not appear to 
be the case, since in many that were opened nothing was 
found but small fishes. Perhaps these young fishes follow 
the floating wood for the sake of the insects that accom- 
pany it, and thus draw the Stone Basse after them. 
* This appears to be a variety of Labrus Julis. 
VOL. XIV. M GASTE- 
