THE WRASSE. 413 



mt the ventral has thefirft ray produced into a long fpine ; 

 the three fivft rays of the anal fin are alfo fpinous *. 



The roftrunn of the wrafle is protuberant, and bent up- 

 wards ; and is farther lengthened by two thick flelhy 

 lips, one of which projects upwards, wiiile the other 

 hangs down. The teeth are ferrated, the palate fmooth, 

 while the lower part of the mouth is full of pi ickljr 

 teeth. 



The wrafle commonly weighs from four to five pounds : 

 In its general figure it refembles a carp. Their flefn is 

 neither palatable nor nutritive. By the Frejich, as well 

 as the Englijlo, it is called the old wife, a name of which 

 it is not eafy to adign the origin. There are feven or 

 eight diftindl fpecies of the v.-rafl'e enumerated by Mr. 

 Pennant among the BntiJJ} fiihes ; tbefe, however, svc 

 chara£lerifed by differences fo minute, that a particular 

 defcription of each would affurd but little information f, 



f Sy'llcugb. T). 320. f Brlr. Zool, Chfj iv. Gen. 25, 



