GADIMJ. 315 



maxilla extends posteriorly to below the middle or hind edge of the eye, and is 

 rather longer than the mandible. Barbels one abont as long as the eye at each 

 anterior nostril : a short pair on the anterior edge of the snout near the median 

 line : a single one, the longest of the five, beneath the symphysis of the lower jaw. 

 Teeth villiform in the jaws, a few widely separated rather enlarged and conical 

 ones in the inner row on the mandible, and in a band on the vomer : none on the 

 palatine bones or on the tongue. In the young the outer row in the upper and the 

 inner row in the lower jaw are sharper and longer than in adults. Fins the 

 anterior dorsal commences on a line above the posterior extremity of the opercle, 

 while the length of its base slightly exceeds that of the postorbital portion of the 

 head ; it ends above the posterior extremity of the pectoral fin. Gcecal appendages 

 nine in the example figured, eight in another from Penzance. Colours of a 

 stone, or olive, or chestnut colour, becoming lighter on the cheeks, lower surface 

 of the head and abdomen as far as the commencement of the anal fin. Fins 

 dark brown: pectorals and ventrals with some orange on their basal halves, 

 the anal with a light outer edge. Outer ventral rays nearly white. 



An example 1| inches in length was brown covered with numerous fine black 

 spots : its eyes being bright blue : length of the head 1/5 of that of the total. 



Varieties. The barbels in this species would seem not to be invariably 

 identical; in examining two examples, one nearly 2 (1'9) inches long the other a 

 little more (2"2 inches), the colours were as in the adult, so were the two anterior 

 nasal, the two rostral, and the mandibular barbels. But variations occurred in other 

 specimens, due to the following cause. Along the edge of the snout, in an example 

 3 inches long, existed a row of somewhat tubular pores, the two centre of which were 

 short barbels, in another nearly 4 inches long (3"8 inches) a similar appearance 

 existed : but in a specimen a little over 5 (5'2j inches long the pair of rostral 

 barbels were absent, only a line of 8 pores existed. This appears to resemble Motella 

 fusca (Risso), Moreau, who obtained both forms in the same locality. Couch 

 mentions that in some examples which he received from the north of Somerset- 

 shire, a low membrane connected each pair of the upper barbels together. In 

 one instance, the barbs of one side were united into one, while on the other side 

 they remained separate. 



Names. Brown whistler in west of Cornwall. Pettifogger and baud are said 

 to have been two local names in Cornwall for some species of Motella. Pennant 

 observes that Cornish fishermen whistled and made use of the words bod, bod, 

 veau, when trying to capture this fish. Be meun, Dutch. 



Habits. This species inhabits hard sandy coasts as well as rocky localities, 

 but does not appear to live in such deep waters as M. tricirrata. It feeds upon 

 small shells and crustacea. 



Means of capture. Mr. Cornish (Zool. 1879, p. 476) records one which was 

 taken on a small hook fishing from off the rocks, but the common mode of 

 obtaining them is from under stones as the tide ebbs. 



Baits. These are rarely used as the mouth of this fish is small. 



Breeding. Cornish obtained, August 20th, 1879, at Penzance a female full of 

 roe partially matured. " The nest wherein the spawn is deposited is invariably 

 formed of the common coralline, Corallina officinalis, thrust into some cavity 

 or crevice of a rock close to low water-mark " (Zool. 1879, p. 476), the eggs are 

 not contained in a chamber but scattered through the mass. 



Thompson obtained young in June, from Lahinch, less than 2 inches in length. 



Biseases. Mcintosh (Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 140) figures a crustacean parasite 

 from the young of this fish (Motella glauca) from Lochmaddy. 



As food. It is said to be fair eating. 



Habitat. From Iceland and the northern seas through the German Ocean 

 and Atlantic borders of Europe, and common along the coasts of France and the 

 Iberian peninsula. 



It is found off most parts of the British coasts, and has been referred to as 

 common in the Orkneys (Low) and also in Zetland (W. Baikie) : Moray Firth 

 (Harris) : Banff, frequent among pools left by a receding tide (Edward) : 

 Aberdeen (Sim) : St. Andrew's (Mcintosh) : Firth of Forth (Parnell) : and 'not 



