25 



IU1RJELLA LABRUS. 



Labrus Julis. L. latcribus cccruksccntilus, vitta longitudinal} 



fuha utrinquc dentata. Lin. Grnc/. 

 Labrus with blueish sides, marked by a longitudinal, fulvous, 



dentated or undulated band. 

 L. Julis. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 476. Mus. Ad. Frid. 2. p. ?5, 



Bloc/i. t. 28?. f. I- 



LENGTH about eight inches : form rather length- 

 ened : general colour blueish or violet on the upper 

 parts, with an undulating yellow stripe on each side 

 towards the back : abdomen whitish : pectoral, 

 ventral fins, and tail pale: dorsal fin fulvous or 

 orange-coloured at its origin, and marked along 

 the base by a brown or purplish stripe : scales 

 small: lateral line placed pretty near the back, 

 and descending suddenly at a small distance from 

 the tail. Native of the Mediterranean, generally 

 swimming in small shoals : the male is said to be 

 distinguished from the female by having the back 

 of a green colour. By the more ancient ichthy- 

 ologists this species seems to have been considered 

 as the most beautiful of the finny race, but this' 

 must have been owing to the very confined state 

 of natural history at the time those authors lived. 

 It has also been regarded as a poisonous fish, and 

 capable of inflicting a dangerous wound, but this, 

 like many other errors of antiquity, is now entirely 

 exploded. 



