478 SPARID^. 



There are ten abdominal and fourteen caudal vertebrce, the length 

 of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that of the 

 latter as 1 : 1-24. The three spmious interneurals are not spiniferous; 

 the first interhajmal is of moderate length and strength. 



3. Pagellus owenii. 



Pagellus acarne, (not Cuv.) Parn. Fishes Firth of Forth, p. 24. pi. 27 ; 



Yarrrll, Brit. Fishes, i. p. 122* (fig. not accurate) ; White, Cat. 



Brit. Fishes, p. 19. 

 Pagellus erythrinus, Yarrell, I. c. p. 120, descr. and vignette [not fig. 



or sjTion.]. 



D. f^, A. l^. L. lat. 68. L. transv. 6/13. 



The height of the body equals the length of the head and is 3| in 

 the total ; the diameter of the eye is nearly equal to the distance 

 between the eyes, Ig in the length of the snout, and 4| in the length 

 of the head. The prseorbital is narrower posteriorly, its greatest 

 depth being about 1| in its greatest length. There are three series 

 of molars in the upper jaw and two or three in the lower. Silvery 

 red, with a dark violet spot in the axil. 



Only known at present from the coasts of the British Isles. 



a, b. Fom*teen inches long : skins. Plymouth. From Mr. YarreU's 

 Collection. 



c. Fourteen inches long : stuffed. Firth of Forth. From Dr. Par- 



neU's Collection. 



d. Fourteen inches long : stuffed. 



e. f. Fourteen inches long : skins. From Mr. Yarrell's Collection. 



Description, — This fish, known to British ichthyologists under 

 the name of the " Axillary Bream," has been confounded by them 

 with the Acarne of the Mediterranean, which appears to spread to 

 the southern coasts of England in a few instances only. Both fishes 

 are very similar to each other ; but the British species has constantly 

 three series of molars in the upper jaw, whilst the southern speci- 

 mens exhibit two only, as is stated by Cu%ier and confirmed by the 

 specimens in the British Museum. If there is any in-egularity in the 

 an-angement of the series of the upper molar teeth, and therefore 

 a doubt about their number, they appear to form four series rather 

 than three, and never two. 



I have mentioned above that the article on Pagellus erythrinus 

 in ' YarreU's Fishes ' treats of a different species, except the figiu'e, 

 which is a copy, as acknowledged by himself. That part of the 

 description which is composed bj- himself, contains veiy few sjjecific 

 characters which might not be attributed to other Sparidce as well 

 as to the species in question. But there is one sentence which 

 clearly shows that Yarrell could not have had a specimen of Pa- 

 gellus erythrinus for this description, as he professes ; he says, p. 122, 

 *' The last two or three soft rays of both dorsal and anal fins are 

 invested together in one scaly covering." This is the case in P. owenii 

 and in P. acarne fi'om the Mediterranean, but not in Pagellus ery- 



