THE BALLAN WRASSE. 257 



base of the pectorals, extending down nearly the whole length of the 

 back, to witlun a short distance of the base of the tail ; the first 

 twenty rajs short and spiny, nearly all of equal length, with the in- 

 tervening membranes extending bej'ond their points, in the form of 

 fine filaments ; the remaining portion of the fin, soft and flexible, the 

 rays, which are branched on their summits, being much longer than 

 the spinous ones. Anal fin commencing in a line under the eight- 

 eenth ray of the dorsal, and ending in a line beneath the last ray but 

 four of the same fin ; the first three rays sjiiny, of which the first is 

 the shortest; the rest of the rays soft and flexible, branched at their 

 summits; the last but four the longest: ventrals shorter than the 

 pectorals, and placed 1 chind the ba?c : pectorals rounded at the end 

 with the middle rays the longest ; operculum rounded ; preoperculum 

 smooth not denticulated, the ascending margin rather oblique ; cheeks 

 and operculum scaly, compressed. Nose pointed ; under jaw the 

 shortest ; lips long and thin, rugose on the under surface and, wh n 

 folded back, having the appearance as if thick and fleshy. Eyes ra- 

 ther small, placed half way between the point of the upper jaw and 

 the posterior margin of the operculum. Teeth stout and conically 

 •arranged in two rows in front of each jaw ; the front row in the up- 

 per jaw has eighteen teeth ; the same row in the lower jaw has 

 twenty ; in the second row they are small and few, not exceeding 

 eight in number ; pharyngeals armed with short blunt teeth ; none 

 on the tongue, vomer, or palatines ; lateral line commencing over 

 the operculum, taking a slight bend over the base of the pectorals, 

 running parallel with the dorsal line as far as the last ray but four, 

 •where it -makes a short bend down, from thence passes straight to 

 the tail ; scales six in number in an oblique row between the middle 

 of the dorsal fin and lateral line ; between it and the vent twelve ; 

 between the rays of the caudal fin, half way down, a number of small 

 imbricated scales ; preoperculum without scales ; comers of the tail 

 rounded. Number of fin rays — 

 D. ni; P. 15; V. 6 ; A. 12; C. 13. 



The Ballan Wrasse is a rare fish in the Firth of Forth, 

 although found in tolerable numbers in most of the rocky 

 places round the British coast. A fine specimen was sent 

 me by Mr M'Queen, which was taken in the salmon nets at 

 Hopetoun in the month of August ; it measured seventeen 

 inches in length, and six in depth. I feel myself indebted 

 to that gentleman for his uniform kindness in sending me 



VOL. VII. R 



