374 ACANTHOPTERYGII. SEA-BREAM FAMILY. 



a broad golden mark covers the preopercle, and a 

 violet one the opercle. The dorsal fin is bluish, A\nth 

 a brown longitudinal streak ; the caudal is black, 

 vs^ith golden reflections ; the ventrals violet. It is 

 said to feed on shell-fish, and to excavate the sand 

 with its tail for the purpose of i aising the mussels 

 and other testacea from their bed, the shells being 

 readily broken by its strong teeth. Though some- 

 what dry, its flesh is delicate, and of an agreeable 

 flavour ; it is often pickled, and in this state is ex- 

 tensively used in France and Spain. These fish 

 collect in great numbers at the mouths of rivers ; 

 and such as frequent the shores are more esteemed 

 than those of the deep sea; and especially those 

 which sojourn in natural or artificial salt-water 

 lakes. In such a locality they will in one summer 

 increase in size threefold, attaining a weight of 18 

 or 19 lbs. 



Gen, XVII. Pagrus. — This genus very much re 

 sembles the foregoing ; but is distinguished by hav- 

 ing on the jaw only two rows of roundish teeth : 

 hence their jaws are not so broad, and their muzzles 

 are less thick than those of the Gill-lieads. ^Several 

 are known in Europe, and man}" in more southern 

 latitudes ; one only is British. 



(Sp. 8(1) P. culgaris. The Braize or Becker. (PI. 

 A'^III.) Tlu' characters which distinguisli this species 

 from other Bream?; are, according to Dr. Parnell, smaU 

 •eyes, the anterior margin of the orbit placed behind 

 the angle of the maxillary bone; the lateral line some- 

 what bent at its origin, and the pectoral ^"s d(\stitute 



