8 



PERCID^E. 



ACANTHOPTERYG1I. 



PERC1D&. 



THE BASSE. 



Labrax lupus, Cuv. et VALENC. Hist. Nat. des Poiss. t. ii. p. 56, \>\. II. 

 Perca Labrax, LINN/EUS. BLOCH, pt. ix. pi. 301. 



Basse, PENN. Brit. Zool. 1812, vol. iii. p. 348, pi. 60. 

 ,, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 43. 

 FLEM. Brit. An. p. 213, sp. 143. 

 ,, ,, Common Basse, JENYNS, Brit. Vert. p. 331. 



Generic Characters. Two dorsal fins, distinct, separated ; the rays of the 

 first spinous, those of the second flexible ; branchiostegous rays 7 ; tongue 

 covered with small teeth ; teeth on both jaws, on the vomer and palatine bones ; 

 cheeks, preoperculum, and operculum, covered with scales ; suborbital bone and 

 suboperculum without serrations ; preoperculum notched below, serrated on its 

 posterior edge ; operculum ending in two points directed backwards. 



THE BASSE, a marine Perch, with two dorsal fins, abun- 

 dant in the Mediterranean, was well known to the Greeks, 

 who called it ActQaf, and esteemed it highly. Aristotle 

 distinguished it from the fresh-water Perch by the scales on 

 the various parts of the gill-cover, the spines of the opercu- 

 lum, and the roughness of the tongue. It was also well 



