292 ACANTHOPT. FAMILY OP WRASSES. 



regard them as distinct species, seeing that all their 

 essential characters are similar and constant. The 

 specific characters usually assigned to this Proteus- 

 looking fish are, that the ascending margin of the 

 pre-opercle is oblique, the soft part of the dorsal fin 

 more than twice the length of the spinous, and that 

 the dorsal and anal fins terminate nearly in the same 

 line. 



The Ballan Wrasse is numerous in the seas of 

 these temperate regions, and extends far to the north. 

 It is common on the more rocky coasts of England ; 

 more rare in Scotland, and is also known on the Irish 

 coast. Mr. Pennant states that they appear during 

 summer in great shoals off Filey Bridge, on the 

 Yorkshire coast, and, that it occasionally weighs as 

 much as 5 lbs. : its common length is from twelve 

 to eighteen inches. Of its habits Mr. Couch re- 

 ports, that it frequents deep gullies among rocks, 

 where it shelters itself among the larger kind of sea- 

 weeds, and feeds upon crabs and other crustaceous 

 animals. It takes a bait freely, and fishermen 

 remark, that when they first fish in a place, they 

 take but few, and these of large size : but on trying 

 the spot a few days after, they catch a great number, 

 and then smaller ; whence they conclude that the 

 large fish assume the dominion of a district, and 

 keep the younger at a distance. The spawn is said 

 to be shed in the month of April ; and the young, 

 scarcely more than an inch in length, are seen about 

 the margin of the rocks, in shallow water, through- 

 out the summer. Dr. Parnell suggests that it mav 



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