GILTHEAD AND RAINBOW WRASS. 



287 



wonderfully strong aud admirably adapted for their 

 w^ork. In the gullet there is a pavement of lovely white 

 teeth, in shape like the dome of St. Paul's, and their 

 use is to grind up the shells. The wrasses wear a Jacob's 

 coat of many colours, and form an excellent subject for 

 those who can handle the paint-brush, whether in oil or 

 water colours. 



The Gilthead (Lahrus rupestris) is not an uncommon 

 species, and is often taken in lobster and prawn-pots ; as 

 is also the Goldsinny (German : Seekaraiische), which is 

 readily distinguished by a conspicuous black spot on each 

 side of the tail ; it is sometimes called the Corkwing, as it 

 is a minute fish, not exceeding two inches in length. It 

 haunts the sea-weed on all part of the British coast. It 

 is always in motion, and puts itself into very pretty atti- 

 tudes, as it perseveringly hunts among the sea-weeds 

 for its insect prey. It makes a nice aquarium fish. 



As regards the Blue-striped Wrass, Mr. Reed, of 

 "Wick, writes, June 4. 1870 : "No less than five speci- 



PvAlNBOW WRASS. 



mens of the blue wrass w^ere taken on haddock lines in 

 one day, in June, 1870, at Wick, by a fisherman ; the 

 fish was quite new to this coast, and had never been 

 observed before ; one specimen measured upwards of 

 fifteen inches. The colours of the wrass soon fade 

 away after exposure to the atmosphere." 



