504 TEN YEAKS IN SWEDEN. 



lovely creatures, but it is in the tropical and warmer seas of 

 the world that they are to be seen in their full brilliancy. 

 No artist can transfer to paper the radiant hues that glow 

 on these favoured members of the finny race, and no pen 

 can do justice to their wondrous splendour as they dart 

 through the crystalline waters like living meteors, or leisurely 

 traverse the forests of moving algce, balancing themselves 

 among the submarine foliage, like humming birds of the 

 sea." 



Gen. Labrus, Cuv. 



The smooth edge of the opercle distinguishes this genus 

 from crenilabrus. 



61. LABEUS MACULATUS, Bl. Berg Gylta. The Ballan 



Wrasse. D. 



The largest of the genus, and frequently taken in the 

 North Sea 18 in. long, and weighing 7 to 8 Ib. Is met 

 with on all the western coasts of Sweden and Norway, 

 from the Sound up to Bergen, but not in the Baltic. 

 Spawns in May. Form of the body oblong oval. 

 Colour varies much, but is either green, yellow, or red -, 

 always lively. Hinder rays of the dorsal much elevated 

 and rounded off, as is also the case with the anal ; so 

 that both these fins appear to end in a rounded lobe. 

 D. 20,10 j P. 15 ; A. 3,9 ; Y. 1,5 ; C. 14. 

 Couch fancies that YarrelFs ' ' corkwing " is only the 

 young of this. 



62. L. MIXTUS, L.; L. DISPAB, Fries. Bla Gylta. The 



Cook Wrasse (male) j the Three- spotted Wrasse 

 (female). D. 



The male is one of the most beautiful of the Scandi- 

 navian fishes ; prevailing colour red-yellow, streaked 

 and marked with blue. The female and young males 

 reddish brown, with three large round black spots on 

 the upper part of the back. Body more slender and 

 elongated, nose longer and sharper, than in the last. 

 Usual length 12 in. to 14 in. ; dorsal fin of an equal 



