THE GILT-HEAD. 497 



62 lat. It is said to inhabit the more southern portion of 

 the Baltic. Its usual length is from eight to nine inches, 

 hut it has heen known to attain as much as ten. Kroyer 

 mentions having found females with mature roe at the 



o 



beginning of July, and on the 5th of that month he 

 examined a male with flydende (all but fluid) milt ; 

 consequently, he looks upon it a certain that this fish 

 spawns in July. 



Speaking of the breeding habits of this fish, the 

 Professor says: "It has been related to me by an 

 altogether trustworthy person, a distinguished savant, 

 and one who, though not a professed zoologist, is greatly 

 interested in the Northern fauna, that on a summer's 

 day about noon, and whilst standing on a low bridge, 

 looking down into the clear water beneath, his attention 

 was attracted by two of these small Wrasses, which 

 came forth from under some sea-weeds, where they had 

 previously hidden themselves. At first they swam rapidly 

 round in a small circle, the one close behind, and as if 

 in pursuit of the other; but presently they came into 

 immediate contact, venter contra venlrem. In this 

 position they remained for a short time, when they 

 separated, and, as before, concealed themselves under the 

 weeds. This, however, was for but a little time, when 

 they again appeai'ed, and the like ceremony was once more 

 gone through. From what my informant relates and 

 lie and others watched their proceedings for upwards of 

 an hour it appears to me that when these fishes were 

 close together, they were in the act of pairing, and that 

 the fructification of the ova of the female then took place, 

 which is the more likely from what we know of the organs 

 of generation of both sexes. It also strikes me as more 

 than probable, that during the intervals that the female 

 remained concealed under the weeds, she took the oppor- 

 tunity of depositing her already fertilized roe, and after- 



1 K 



