262 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



nant's description, but not the Labrus Cornubicus of Jenyns 

 or Crenilabrus Cornubicus of Yarrell, or the Corhxomg of 

 Couch. 



Crenilabrus Corndbicus.* — The Goldsinny. 



Specific Characters. — Base of the tail, with a black spot, below the 

 lateral line. 



Description. — From a specimen four inches in length. Dorsal line 

 more rounded than in the last species ; head rather more tlian one- 

 fourth the length of the whole fish ; depth greater than the length of 

 the head. Colour of the back and sides reddish-brown, tinged with 

 greenish-blue, marked with twelve or fifteen longitudinal lines of a 

 darker shade ; belly pale orange-red ; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, 

 bluish green, with spots and stripes of orange-red. Dorsal fin com- 

 mencing in a line over the margin of the operculum, and ending the 

 distance of the length of the ventral fin rays from the base of the tail ; 

 the first ray the shortest, the rest very gradually increase in length 

 to the last ray but one ; the seventeen first rays spiny ; the remainder 

 soft and flexible : anal fin commencing in a line under the twelfth 

 ray of the dorsal, and ending under the last ray but one of the same 

 fin; the first three rays spiny, the rest rather longer and flexible; 

 ventrals behind the base of the pectorals ; upper rays of the pectorals 

 the longest; reaching down as far as in a line under the ninth ray of 

 the dorsal fin ; tail rounded at the end, all the rays branched except 

 the short lateral ones. Eyes placed high on the head and rather re- 

 mote from the point of the snout. Operculum smooth, ending in 

 a soft flattened point, over the base of the pectorals ; preoper- 

 culum angular, finely dentated at the free margin. Teeth [rather 

 small in both jaws, pointing slightly outwards ; scales large and thin, 

 those on the cheeks smaller than the rest ; preoperculum without 

 scales. Lateral line commencing over the operculum, following the 

 curve of the back to the end of the dorsal raj-s, there taking a short 

 oblique bend down, from thence passing straight to the base of the 

 tail, a large black spot a little below the caudal extremity of the la- 

 teral line. Number of fin rays — 



D. 24; P. 14; V. 6; A. 13; C. 14. 



The habits of this species are similar to those of the 

 Wrasses generally, that of frequenting deep and rocky 



* Crenilabrus Cornubicus, Yar. Labrus Cornubicus, J en., but not of Penn. 

 /.ufjanus Ceojfry, Rissn, Cnrkn-infl, Goldsinny. 



