268 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Varieties. Couch's figure gives seventeen spines to the dorsal fin, and a broad 

 dark band or blotch over the anterior half of the free portion of the tail. 



Names. Rock cool; small-mouthed wrass. 



Habits. Frequents rough stony gound and deep waters, feeding on minute 

 Crustacea and dead animal substances, consequently mostly seen while crab-pots 

 are in use, or during the summer months, when the young likewise frequent rock 

 pools. 



Means of capture. Mostly in crab-pots, going in after the baits, which it tears 

 little bits off and sucks them in ; while, owing to its small mouth, it is rarely 

 captured by line fishermen. 



Habitat. Coasts of Greenland, Norway and Sweden, to those of the British 

 Isles. Two small examples were caught in Kirkwall Bay in December, 1850 

 (W. Baikie, Zool. 1853, xi, p. 4019) ; it has been observed at Banff (Edward) ; 

 and along the south coast of our western counties. Lieutenant Spence sent a 

 specimen from Cawsand to the British Museum. I have taken several at 

 Dawlish. Couch did not consider it rare in Cornwall. 



In Ireland it has been taken on the N. E. and W. coasts (Thompson) ; at 

 Carnlough in Antrim in June, 1836, by Dr. Drummond, and a second by the 

 Ordnance Survey, which latter partv likewise obtained it at Lough Foyle, county 

 Londonderry ; and Mr. M'Calla recognized it at Roundstone. 



The example figured was captured by myself in a rock pool near Dawlish in 

 August, 1881. 



It is said not to exceed four or five inches in length. 



