153 



just above the origiu of the rays of the pectoral. Tail 

 luQateLl. 



P. 15. D. 12, 12. V. 1, 5. A. 3, 13. C, about 20. 

 Colours much as in the common Sea Breaui, but more 

 vivid ; top of the head rich brown ; t!ie back scarlet red, 

 lighter on the sides, the belly white, with slight niotlliuirs. 

 Dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins, and within the mouth, 

 Vermillion; ventral and anal Rns palei\ Compared with the 

 common Sea Bream laid beside it, beside the retnarkable 

 difference in the dimensions, it is distinguished by a wider 

 gape, by teeth less thickly placed, thoii^h resembling in 

 arrangement and structure, especially the incisors; by a less 

 rounded muzzle, a much larger eye, and longer pectorals, 

 which are also differently shaped, being more arched. la 

 a common Sea Bream of the same length ihese (ins were 

 three inches and three quarters long. The scales also were 

 more decidedly waved at their edge. In tlie stomach I found 

 a Comatula and the bait, a slice of fish, with which it was 

 taken; but in the lower intestine were rather broad-pieces 

 of brown sea-weed, covered with Fluslraa, but this being 

 undigested, seems not to be its ordinary food. 



At the first glance I was let! to suspect that this fish was 

 nothing more than a duuipy specimen of tlie comuion Sea 

 Bream; but it differed in so many particulars, beside the 

 shortened furm, that on nunute examination I have been 

 compelled to conclude that it is a separate species ; in which 

 opinion I am supported by the decision of an eminent 

 Natur.ilist. I have not been able to discover any species at 

 all closely resembling it in the works of Roudeletius, Gesner, 

 Ray, Linnaeus, Gronovius, Risso or Cuvier ; and am there- 

 fore compelled to conclude that it is now for the first lime 

 described : a circumstance the less to be wondered at, when 

 we recollect that even in the limited waters of the IMetliler- 

 ranean, and so near a region also as INIadeira, several fishes 

 have been recorded of which only a single specimen has 

 been obtained. The fish here described has been deposited 

 with the next preceding, in the British Muaeum. 

 BOGUE. Boops primus, Ray's Synopsis, p. 135. Box 



vulgaris, Cuvier ; but in his plate Boops V. Spare bogue, 



Risso, Ichthyologic, p. 242. 



A specimen of this fish, the first recorded as taken in 

 Britain, was caught in a ground seau at St. Mawes, in the 

 early part of October, 1842; and coining into the posaessiou 

 of Alfred Fox, Esq., was kindly presented to the Mu.-eum 

 at Truro. It is abundant in the Mediterranean; but has 

 rarely been taken out of it. 



