41 



ROCK COOK. 



SMALL-MOUTHED WRA.S3. 



Lahrus exoletus, Linn^us. 



Crenilabrus microstoma, Coucir akd TiioMPSON; a paper by the 



latter, with a coloured plate, in the 



second volume of the Magazine of 



Zoology. 

 AcantJiolabrus exoletus, Cuviek. Yaheeli.; Br. Fishes, vol. i, 



p. 341. 

 Centroldbrus exoletus, Guntheu; Cat. Br. Museum, vol. iv, p. 92. 



This little fish is not rare on the western coasts of the 

 kingdom, and in Ireland; and if it ap])ears to be so it proceeds 

 from its habits, which again are influenced by the small size 

 of its mouth, that prevents it from taking the hooks usually 

 employed in fishing at the stations where it is commonly 

 found; for it seems ready to devour its food, and it is some- 

 times found in crab-pots, which it has entered to feed on the 

 baits suspended there. As the crab fishery is not carried on 

 in the stormy season of the year, this fish is for the most part 

 only met with in the months of summer. Nor does it wander 

 into such shallow water as some others of the smaller species 

 of this family; yet it seems to be widely spread, at least 

 towards the north, for Nilsson mentions it as inhabiting the 

 coast of Sweden, where, however, it is not of frequent occurrence. 



It does not exceed four or five inches in length, and one of 

 the former dimensions was in depth one inch and four tenths, 

 with plump appearance, although moderately compressed at 

 the sides. The gape is small; lips fleshy; teeth regular and 

 blunt; a veil or membrane at the palate, as in the other 

 species; but in this it forms an arch on each side. Eyes rather 

 large; head flat above, and in many examples it is elevated 

 VOL. IIL G 



