GEN. MUGIL. THE GREY MULLET. 247 



ing backwards, placed just at the origin of the pec- 

 toral fin, — both of which striking characters are 

 wanting in the capita^ whose spinous scale is short 

 and obtuse, and the others larger and broader. The 

 usual size of the Grey Mullet is about fifteen inches, 

 but it sometimes extends to two feet. The colour 

 of the back is steel-grey, with bluish and partly 

 yellow reflexions; the abdomen is silvery white, 

 and on the flanks there are six or eight lines of a 

 rosy brown. There is usually a black spot at the 

 angle of the pectoral, which inclines inwards : the 

 iris is yellowish. It is usually stated to be the 

 most common species of the European seas, and yet 

 it is not a little singular that not a single specimen 

 has fallen under the notice of that indefatigable 

 Ichthyologist Dr. Parnell, those he has examined 

 belonging to the next species to be reviewed. This 

 fish is plentiful on the southern and eastern shores 

 of England ; Dr. Neill reports that it is found, but 

 not very frequently, at the mouth of the Esk, in the 

 Firth of Forth : it is also met with in the Baltic 

 and west coast of Norway. 



As to the habits of the Grey Mullet, Mr. Yarrell 

 has drawn from Mr. Couch's manuscript, and we shall 

 venture to extract from the rich scource thus sup- 

 plied. " It never goes to a great distance from land, 

 but delights in shallow water when the weather is 

 warm and fine ; at which times it is seen prowling 

 near the margin in search of food, and imprinting a 

 dimple on the placid surface as it snatches any oily 

 substance that may chance to be swimming about. 



