GEN. LABRUS. THE COMBER WRASSE. 297 



fringe of blue and lilac. The iris is red, surrounded 

 with a circle of blue. Both Miiller and Parnell 

 testify that it is esteemed as food. 



(Sp. 85.) L. comber. The Comber "Wrasse, the 

 last of this genus we have to name, is introduced 

 only provisionally. M. Valenciennes refuses it ad- 

 mission ; Mr. Jenyns puts it in the list of his doubt- 

 ful species ; and Mr. Yarrell, whose example we 

 follow, gives it a place, to provoke the farther 

 investigation of Ichthyologists on the subject. The 

 fish has been seen by Mesers. Jago, Pennant, and 

 Couch. The form is slender; the colour of the 

 back, fins, and tail, red ; the abdomen yellow ; be- 

 low, and parallel to the lateral line, is a smooth even 

 stripe from gill to tail, of a silvery colour. The 

 number of the fin-rays is stated to be 



D. 20/11— P. 14— V. 5— A. 3/7— C. not given. 



Mr. Couch's manuscript runs thus, " Compared with 

 the Common Wrasse, the Comber is smaller, more 

 slender, and has its jaws more elongated. The two 

 upper front teeth are very long : a white line passes 

 along the side from head to tail, unconnected with 

 the lateral line. It has distinct blunt teeth in the 

 jaws and palate : the ventral fins are somewhat 

 shorter than in the others of the genus." Mr. Couch 

 thought it scarce. 



Gen. XL VIII. Crenilabrus. — This genus is 

 distinguished by its toothed pre-opercle, its lips 

 thick and fleshy, conical teeth, in a single row, in 

 each jaw; the spinous dorsal rays being free and 



