354 PISCES (OSSE1) ACANTHOPT. [SPARUS. 



LENGTH. Fifteen inches. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Body oval, larger before than behind: depth 

 nearly one-third of the entire length ; thickness two-fifths of the depth : 

 snout obtuse : eyes moderate, situate on the upper part of the cheek, at 

 the distance of twice the length of their diameter from the end of the 

 snout : opercle narrow, almost three times as high as broad ; the scales 

 which cover it larger than those on the preopercle : lower jaw a little the 

 shortest; in each jaw six strong, hooked, conical, rather blunt, incisors; 

 tubercular teeth in five rows above, in three below ; the anterior ones 

 small and rounded ; at the back of the mouth, always one, often two, oval 

 ones larger than the others, their longest diameter measuring sometimes 

 four lines : (in young individuals the teeth are smaller and in only four 

 rows :) lateral line nearly straight ; its course a little above one-third of 

 the depth : number of scales in a longitudinal line nearly eighty, in the 

 depth about twenty-four : dorsal commencing at a distance from the end 

 of the snout equalling nearly one-third of the whole length ; spinous, 

 higher than the soft, portion : anal in a line with the third soft ray of the 

 dorsal, and not extending beyond that fin ; its spinous rays shorter than 

 those of the dorsal ; second stoutest : caudal moderately forked : pectorals 

 long, reaching beyond the vent, equalling nearly one-fourth of the whole 

 length ; their point of attachment a little before the dorsal : ventrals 

 rather behind the pectorals, moderately broad : 



B. 6 ; D. 11/13 ; A. 3/11 ; C. 17 ; P. 16 ; V. 1/5. 



Number of vertebrae twenty-four. (Colours.) Back silvery gray; belly 

 like polished silver ; sides with from eighteen to twenty longitudinal 

 golden bands; on the forehead, between the eyes, a crescent- shaped 

 band of golden yellow; a large spot on the shoulder; opercle also dusky 

 or violet. Cuv. 



This species must be considered as very rare in the British seas, if it 

 have really any claim at all to a place in the Fauna. The descriptions of 

 Pennant and Fleming apply with tolerable correctness, but the Gilt-head 

 of Donovan and other English authors is only the Pagettus centrodontus 

 of Cuvier hereafter described. Found in the Mediterranean along with 

 another nearly allied species, and said, by Cuvier, to feed on the con- 

 chiferous mollusca. 



(2. PAGRUS, Cuv.) 



28. S. Pagrus, Linn. (Braive, or Becker.) Silvery, 

 tinged with red : no golden crescent between the eyes ; no 

 black spot on the shoulder. 



Pagrus vulgaris, Cuv. et Veil. Pom. torn. vi. p. 104. pi. 148. Le 

 Pagre de la Mediterranee, Cuv. Reg. An. torn. n. p. 182. Becker, 

 Couch in Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 79. Braize, or Becker, Yarr. 

 Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 102. 



LENGTH ? 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Snout obtuse, like that of the S. Aurata, but 

 the nape less elevated, and the body more elongated than in that 

 species: head one-fourth of the entire length; depth a little more: 

 eyes large and round : opercle more than twice as high as broad : four 

 strong pointed teeth at the extremity of each jaw, with a group of 

 small card-like teeth behind them ; beyond these a row of five teeth 

 obtusely conical, and four or five round ones; within, and parallel to this 



