GOLDFINNY. 297 



green or yellowish ; darkest on the back ; the sides generally 

 marked with longitudinal lines of a darker colour, mostly 

 green, but sometimes not very conspicuous. The dark spot 

 at the base of the caudal fin, on the lateral line, appears to be 

 a constant specific character. One fish, about three inches 

 long, has the dorsal and anal fins mottled with purplish 

 brown." 



The fin -rays are 



D. 16 + 8 : P. 14 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 + 10 : C. 14. 



Mr. Couch says " this species rarely takes a bait, and 

 as its haunts are among rocks, where nets are rarely cast, 

 it has only been caught within my knowledge in the wicker- 

 vessels set to take lobsters and crabs, on which account also 

 I have only seen it in summer. It is less abundant than 

 most of the other species." 



My own specimens of this fish are of various sizes, mea- 

 suring from one inch and a half to four inches ; and, as far 

 as my own observations have gone, the dark spot on the side 

 of the fleshy portion of the tail, at the end of the lateral line, 

 close to the base of the caudal rays, is a constant character. 

 I have quoted Risso in the present instance, as also in that 

 of the fish last described, Crenilabrus tinea, because in both 

 cases the descriptions agree with our specimens as closely as 

 fishes from such distant localities can be expected to coincide, 

 and in both instances also Risso refers to Pennant. 



I have seen a specimen of the Goldfinny from the coast of 

 Ireland with twenty-three rays in the dorsal fin, of which 

 the first thirteen only were spinous, the others soft. 



