118 SPARJD^E. 



Pagellus erythrinus of Dr. PamelFs Essay is our present 

 species the Pagrus vulgaris, and his Pagellus acarne is the 

 true Pagellus erythrinus of Cuvier. 



In the Brixham specimen, twenty-one inches long, the depth 

 of the body at the commencement of the dorsal fin is about 

 one third of the whole length of the fish ; the head measures 

 six inches from the point of either jaw to the posterior edge 

 of the operculum, or, compared to the whole length of the 

 fish, as one to three and a half; the diameter of the orbit of 

 the eye equal to the breadth of the operculum : the suborbi- 

 tal bone large ; the teeth of three sorts, as shown in the side 

 and front view forming the vignette, the anterior row being 

 elongated and conical, the four immediately in front of both 

 jaws being rather the longest in the row. Suborbital bone 

 and preoperculum covered with a shining metallic-like surface, 

 striated along the margin ; cheek and operculum covered with 

 scales, operculum smooth at the edge. The dorsal fin com- 

 mences in a line over the origin of the pectoral fin, and ends 

 rather before the line of termination of the anal, the first 

 twelve rays spinous, the rest flexible ; the whole length of the 

 base of the fin lodged in a groove formed by the elevation of 

 the edges of the scales of the body : the pectoral fin very 

 long, the fourth or fifth ray the longest, and reaching beyond 

 the vent ; the ventral fin arises in a line about half an inch 

 behind the origin of the pectoral fin, is only about half as 

 long as that fin, and has its single spiny ray shorter than the 

 first flexible ray ; the anal fin commences in a line under the 

 second soft ray of the dorsal fin, the first of the three spiny 

 rays only half the length of the second, the base of the whole 

 fin lodged in a groove formed by the free edges of the scales 

 along the abdominal line ; the tail forked, the longest termi- 

 nal rays more than as long again as the shortest rays, or those 

 in the middle ; the lateral line, commencing at the upper 

 angle of the operculum, ascends a little, and then follows the 



