334 THE WRASSES. CHAP. xvi. 



ployed upon the Wrasses, Edward immediately began 

 to search for Wrasses, and shortly after he despatched 

 numbers of them to Polperro. Among the specimens 

 of Wrass (labrus) which Edward sent to Mr. Couch, 

 there was one which Cuvier described as being found 

 only in New Guinea, on the farther side of the 

 world. " And yet," said Mr. Couch, after examining 

 the fish, "I cannot suppose that fishes from New 

 Guinea can have visited you." The finding of this 

 fish at New Guinea and at the Moray Firth furnished 

 only another illustration of the scarcity of observers 

 in Natural History ; for it must certainly, like most 

 other species, have existed in numerous other parts 

 of the world besides these. 



In describing his little fish, Edward says : 

 " Although I cannot say much of importance con- 

 cerning the traits of our little friend, still there is 

 one which cannot be passed over in silence. It is 

 this on coming out of the water after I took the 

 prize, I had occasion to lay it down upon the sand 

 until a bottle was prepared for its reception and 

 exclusive use, as I v/as anxious to take it home 

 alive, so that I might see and learn as much of its 

 habits as possible. Whilst thus employed, I was 

 rather surprised at seeing it frequently leap several 

 inches at a time. Thinking that the damp sand 

 might have in some way or other aided the operation, 

 when I got home I placed it on a dry board to see how 

 it would perform there. It did just the same. Away 



