314 SUPPLEMENT ON 



The first species is the chrysophris aurata, which is the 

 most abundant in Europe. It is found on almost all the 

 coasts of the Mediterranean, and on some of those of the 

 Atlantic ; the largest come from the Lake of Bisertum, near 

 Tunis. These individuals are more than fifteen inches long. 

 This fish does not quit the shore, and it enters into the salt 

 pools, where it grows extremely fat. At Montpellier, in the 

 time of Rondelet, they held in high estimation the chryso- 

 phris of the Pond of Martigue. 



It is to Duhamel that we are indebted for the best informa- 

 tion respecting the habits of this fish. The fishermen told 

 him that the chrysophris agitate the sand forcibly with their 

 tail, so as to discover the shell-fish which have buried them- 

 selves there. They are extremely fond of mussels, and the 

 fishermen recognize the presence of the chrysophris by the 

 noise which they make in breaking the shells with their teeth. 



This fish dreads cold very much ; and Duhamel remarks, 

 that the severe winter of 1766 caused a great number of them 

 to perish. 



We find this chrysophris noticed by all authors who have 

 described the fishes of the Mediterranean ; it is also noticed 

 by those who have treated of the fishes of the Atlantic. Du- 

 hamel speaks of it many times ; Pennant names it among the 

 fish on our English coasts, and calls it gilt-head. But Do- 

 novan and Turton have not the true chrysophris; their gilt- 

 head is the Sparus centrodontus, which is common enough 

 on the coasts of the channel in the months of August and 

 September. It does not appear that the chrysophris ad- 

 vances farther to the north, for Otho Fabricius, Muller, and 

 the other authors of Northern Fauna, make no mention of it. 



From the chrysophris are separated such sparoides as pre- 

 sent, like them, in front of the jaws four or six strong and 

 conical teeth, and have on the sides but two ranges of round 



