( 



196 THB\BLUE-STI;IPED WRASSE. 



however, go so far south as tbe Sound, and is unknown 

 in the Baltic. Its i sual lergtb is from twelve to fourteen 

 inches. The male is-somcwhi't smaller than the female. 

 The most striking difference between them is, however, in 

 the colour, that of the male being in the main blue, whilst 

 the female is red, or nearly so. This great variance in the 

 hues of the sexes has caused them to be classed by several 

 English and other ichthyologists as separate species, the 

 male as the L. caruleus, Ascan., and the female as the 

 L. carnetts, Ascan. But careful observations of Ekstrom 

 and others have satisfactorily proved that they arc one 

 and the same fish. 



The food of the Blue-striped Wrasse is supposed to be 

 similar to that of the L. ttntculnfus. Professor C. J. 

 Sundevall, one of the best zoologists in Sweden, and 

 of European reputation, found in the stomach of a female, 

 twelve inches in length, the remains of several different 

 species of crustaceans, and a nearly whole Port nuns, one 

 inch in breadth ; as also some scales, (ins, and vertebne of 

 small fishes. But little seems to be known regarding its 

 breeding habits. The authority just named, however, tells 

 us, that as the ovisacs of the above-mentioned female only 

 contained small and newly-formed ova, evidencing t hex- 

 had recently been emptied, lie arrived at the conclusion 

 that the spawning season must occur prior to midsummer. 

 The flesh of this iish, like that of its congeners, is not in 

 repute with the fishermen, who therefore take but little 

 pains to capture it. 



The Gilt Head, or Golden Maid (S/.-tir- Ii'o,/<>, Sw. ; 

 Sort-njfd [i.e. black-eyed] .V/ '"/-//////<', Dan.; L. .J/r/^//.v, 

 Linn.; r/r// /////>/ v.v .!/,///*, Cnv.), is pretty common in 

 the Bohus Skiirg;ird. I hough it would seem in great 

 decree eoiitined to certain localities. It is likewise pretty 

 eoinmon ahum the uhole of the \\estern coast of both 

 Suedenand Norway, from the Sound up to at least the 



