290 L ABRIDGE. 



species several years since ; but I have not lately had an 

 opportunity of a re-examination ; it is consequently scarce." 



Cuvier, in the Regne Animal, torn. ii. p. 255, note, con- 

 siders the Comber of Pennant only a red variety, with a 

 succession of white spots along the sides, of the species of 

 Labrus first described in this work, the Labrus maculatus 

 of Bloch, La vieille tachetee of French authors. It may, 

 however, be stated, that this fish has occurred to Jago, 

 Pennant, and Mr. Couch. Its more elongated and slender 

 form, both in reference to head and body, as described and 

 figured by Pennant, and, in further confirmation, again so 

 described by Mr. Couch, who had made notes from a spe- 

 cimen, and who has great opportunities from his locality of 

 examining the various species of this family, has induced me 

 to give it a place here as a species, inviting the investigation 

 of ichthyologists to the subject. In the elongation of its 

 form, and the lengthened light-coloured band along the side, 

 not made up by a series of spots, this fish leads very natu- 

 rally to Cuvier's next division of this family, of which the 

 Rainbow Wrasse of Pennant is a beautifully coloured ex- 

 ample. 



