THE CH^TODON. 241 



It is tolerably common, especially on the southern coasts, in the summer and begin- 

 ning of autumn, but seems to be unable to endure the cold, and passes into deeper water 

 at the first indications of winter. In the early summer, the young Sea- Breams, or Chads 

 as they are then called, haunt the rocks in great numbers, and give good sport to 

 anglers, biting freely at a baited hook, and struggling with some violence in spite of their 

 modest six inches of length. The Chads do not possess the dark patch above the 

 pectoral fin, and this mark is not obtained until the fish has reached its first autumn 

 and is about half-grown. In their earlier stage, when they are only an inch or two long, 

 they are devoured in great numbers by the larger fish. 



The food of the Sea-Bream consists of various animal and vegetable substances ; 

 and the strong array of teeth which line its jaws are admirably adapted to the use for 

 which they were made, namely to nibble the green seaweeds from the face of the rocks 

 and to bruise them when taken into the mouth. 



The flesh of the Sea-Bream is not ordinarily thought of much value for the table, but 

 Mr. Yarrell mentions a plan by which it can be rendered palatable. " When thoroughly 

 cleaned, the fish should be wiped dry, but none of the scales should be taken off. In 

 this state it should be broiled, turning it often, and if the skin cracks, flour it a little to 

 keep the outer case entire. When on table, the whole skin and scales turn off without 

 difficulty, and the muscle beneath, saturated with its own natural juices, which the 

 outside covering has retained, will be found of good flavor." 



The eye of this fish is very large and of a beautiful golden yellow. The cheeks and 

 part of the gill-cover are scaly, and a portion of ttie surface in front of and under the 

 eyes has a metallic lustre. The general color is reddish with a tinge of gray, becoming 

 lighter on the sides, and fading into white below. Above the base of the pectoral fin is 

 a rather large dark patch, which on a closer examination is seen to consist of a number of 

 smaller spots. A few very faint bands are drawn along the sides. The dorsal and anal 

 fins are brown, the ventrals gray, and the pectorals and tail fin red. 



As allusion has been made to the term GILT-HEAD as one of the popular names of the 

 sea-bream, it is as well to mention that the title rightly belongs to a closely allied 

 species Clirysophrys aura/a, a fish that properly inhabits the Mediterranean, but has 

 occasionally been taken on the British coasts. 



This fish derives its name from the semilunar golden spot over the eye. At the upper 

 part of the edge of the operculum there is a violet patch. The back is blue, fading 

 delicately into silver-gray, and the sides are longitudinally banded with golden streaks. 

 The fins are grayish blue, and at the bases of the dorsal and anal fins the scales are so 

 raised at each side, that the fin looks as if it were set in a groove. This arrangement is 

 seen in many of the fish belonging to this family. 



WE now arrive at a large family, containing a series of fishes remarkable for their 

 extraordinary shape, their bold and eccentric coloring, and their curious habits. In 

 Dr. Giinther's elaborate arrangement of the Acanthopterygiian fishes, this family is called 

 by the name of Squamipinnes, or scaly-finned fishes, because " the vertical fins are more or 

 less densely covered with small scales ; " the spinous portions sometimes not scaly. 

 They are nearly all carnivorous fishes, and for the most part are exclusively inhabitants 

 of the tropical seas or rivers. Their bodies are very much compressed and extremely 

 deep in proportion to their length, and the mouth is usually small and placed in front 

 of the snout. 



THE first group of this family, or sub-family as it might be called, is termed Chaeto- 

 dontfna, from the large typical genus of the group. Their mouths are small, and furnished 

 with several rows of very tiny, slender, and bristle-like teeth, a peculiarity of structure 

 that has gained for them their scientific name Chsetodontfna, a term composed of two 

 Greek words, the former signifying hair, and the latter a tooth. The colors of the 

 species belonging to this group are brilliant in tint, and are generally arranged in bold 

 stripes or spots. Black and yellow are the prevailing hues, but blue and green are 

 found in some species. 

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