ONE-SPOTTED OOBY. 25 



conspicuous than any character wliich distinguishes the rest 

 of the British Gobies. The only species it can well be mis- 

 taken for is the G. minutus, but differs from it in having a 

 black spot between the fifth and sixth ray of the first dorsal 

 fin ; the second dorsal with eleven rays, and the tail fin even 

 at the extremity. Whereas the G. minutus has no black 

 spot between the fifth and sixth ray of the first dorsal fin ; 

 the rays of the second dorsal ten in number, and the tail fin 

 rounded at tlic end." 



A specimen, two inches and a half in length, is thus de- 

 scribed by Dr. Parncll. " Body rather elongated, rounded 

 in front, compressed at the tail ; flattened on the nape ; head 

 long in proportion to its depth, one fourth of the length, in- 

 cluding half the caudal rays ; operculum and preoperculum 

 rounded. Colour of the head, back, and sides, pale brownish 

 yellow ; throat and belly white ; dorsal and caudal fins 

 freckled and barred with pale brown ; first dorsal fin with a 

 black spot between the two last rays, which assumes a beau- 

 tiful appearance when newly taken from the water ; lateral 

 line crossed by six or seven dark spots, the one at the base 

 of the tail being most conspicuous. First dorsal fin with fine 

 flexible spiny rays, of which the second and third are rather 

 the longest, commencing behind the base of the pectorals, 

 and ending in a line over the end of the pectoral rays ; se- 

 cond dorsal fin remote from the first, commencing in a line 

 over the vent, and ending over the last ray of the anal ; the 

 anterior rays longer than the terminal ones ; all flexible and 

 branched, except the first, which is simple ; anal fin similar 

 to the second dorsal, leaving a wide space between its termi- 

 nation and the base of the caudal rays ; ventral fins united so 

 as to form but one fin ; the middle rays the longest, extend- 

 ing to the vent ; each ray is branched except the first and 

 last, which are very short and simple ; between each is 

 stretched a membrane, forming the base of the ventral disk. 



