174 ACANTHOPTLRYGII. SEA-BREAM FAMILY. 



a broad golden mark covers the preopercle, and a 

 violet one the opercle. The dorsal fin is bluish, with 

 a brown longitudinal streak ; the caudal is black, 

 with golden reflections ; the ventrals violet. It is 

 said to feed on shell-fish, and to excavate the sand 

 with its tail for the purpose of raising the mussels 

 and other testacea from their bed, the shells being 

 readily broken by its strong teeth. Though some- 

 what dry, its flesh is delicate, and of an agreeable 

 flavour ; it is often pickled, and in this state is ex- 

 tensively used in France and Spain. These fish 

 collect in great numbers at the mouths of rivers ; 

 and such as frequent the shores are more esteemed 

 than those of the deep sea; and especially those 

 which sojourn in natural or artificial salt-water 

 lakes. In such a locality they will in one summer 

 increase in size threefold, attaining a weight of 18 

 or 19 lbs. 



Gen. XVII. Pagrus. — This genus very much re- 

 sembles the foregoing ; but is distinguished by hav- 

 ing on the jaw only two rows of roundish teeth : 

 hence their jaws are not so broad, and their muzzles 

 are less thick than those of the Gill-heads. Several 

 are known in Europe, and many in more southern 

 latitudes ; one only is British. 



(Sp. 36.) P. vulgaris. The Braize or Becker. (PI. 

 VIII.) The characters which distinguish this species 

 from other Breams are, according to Dr. Parnell, small 

 eyes, the anterior margin of the orbit placed behind 

 the angle of the maxillary bone ; the lateral line some- 

 what bent at its origin, and the pectoral fins destitute 



