CRESTED BLENNY. 235 



acquaintance with the true B. galerita appears to have 

 been founded solely on the works of Artedi. The refer- 

 ence by Gmelin of the Crested Blenny of Pennant to B. 

 galerita, has led many Northern zoologists to give that 

 specific name to Pennants fish ; and not only the later 

 edition of Pennant's work, but the works also of Dr. Flem- 

 ing and Professor Nilsson have so recorded it. 



Dr. Fleming, in his History of British Animals, has de- 

 scribed, under the term B. galerita, a species of Blenny, 

 obtained in Loch Broome, which differs but little from the 

 specimen obtained by Dr Johnston in Berwick bay ; and 

 Professor Nilsson, in his Prodromus of the fish of Scandina- 

 via, which has been frequently quoted, has described also 

 as the B. galerita of Linnaeus a fish occurring among sea- 

 weed on the coast of Norway, and living on crustaceous and 

 molluscous animals. His description,* though short, bears 

 evidence of having been taken from the fish ; it contains a 

 reference to some peculiarities mentioned by Dr. Fleming, 

 but claims for it three rays in the ventral fins. 



The number of fin-rays in the fish termed B. galerita by 

 Strom, Dr. Fleming, and Professor Nilsson, as described in 

 their works, and that found to exist in the specimen received 

 from Dr. Johnston, are here added, to show by their general 

 agreement the great probability that all four sets of numbers 

 refer to the same fish. 



* As this useful little book may not be in the possession of many, I here add 

 the description referred to : " Bl. tentaculis duobus supraciliaribus ramosis ; 

 radiis pinnae ventralis tribus ; capite superius barbato ; corpore rutilo, maculis 

 10 12 dilutioribus rotundis ad latera dorsi. Obs. Alia specimina furviora 

 sunt et maculis dorsi dilutioribus carent. In aliis exemplis spinae 3 4, dor- 

 sales anteriores ceteres sunt longiores et appendicibus crassis ramosis or- 

 nate ; in aliis hae spinae breviores sunt & appendicibus simplieibus, gracilibus 

 terminantur." 



