THREE NEW SPECIES OF BRITISH FISHES. 



139 



commences in a vertical line over the upper third of the pectorals, and ends in 

 a line with the termination of the ventral rays ; the second dorsal fin commences 

 over the vent, and ends opposite to the base of the last anal ray, leaving a wide 

 space between it and the base of the tail. The head is rather long ; the eyes are 

 situated high on the forehead, and nearly approximating. Each jaw is furnished 

 with a number of small sharp teeth in two rows. The cheeks are tumid ; the 

 margin of the operculum is rounded. The lateral line is straight, marked with six 

 or seven dark spots, the one at the base of the tail being the most conspicuous. 

 The numbers of the fin rays are, — first dorsal 6; second dorsal 11 ; caudal 12; 

 ventral 13 ; anal 11 ; pectoral 20. The upper part of the membrane between the 

 fifth and sixth ray of the first dorsal fin is marked with a large black spot, which 

 is always constant ; the second dorsal fin is mottled with reddish-brown, as Avell 

 as the taU, which is even at the end. The belly, ventral, and anal fins are white. 



This fish, I first noticed in the Frith of Forth, in the neighbourhood of Queens- 

 ferry, where it may be found throughout the whole summer in water from two 

 to three feet deep. It seldom reaches the shore as the viinutus is observed to 

 do, but keeps more in the deep water. 



In the Solway Frith I found it rare, but the minutus abounds there in great 

 numbers. At Exmouth on the coast of Devon, I have taken it in many situa- 

 tions where I could not find a single specimen of the minutus, and I have also 

 foimd the minutus where the unipunctatus was never observed. If we compare 

 this fish with the rest of the British Gobies, we shall find it to differ from them 

 in other respects, besides having a black spot on the first dorsal fin, and the tail 

 even at the end. 



G. unipunctatus, comp. ■with G. niger. 



Dorsal fins widely separate. Dorsal fins closely approximate. 



G. unipunctatus, ■■■ ... G. hipunctatus. 



First Dorsal fin with six rays. First Dorsal fin with seven rays. 



G. unipunctatus, G. gracilis. 



Anterior rays of second dorsal fin, Anterior ray of second dorsal fin, 



longest. shortest. 



G. unipunctatus, G. alhus. 



First Dorsal fin with six rays First Dorsal fin with five rays. 



GoBius ALBUs, Parnell. — White Goby. 

 This species of goby holds such a conspicuous place in the genus, that it 

 cannot weU be mistaken for any other. I first noticed it in the Solway Frith, in 



