WRASSES. 



421 



smaller, from which they conclude that the large fish assume the dominion of a 

 ■district, and keep the younger at a distance." The gold sinny (Crenilabrus 

 melops) is a British example of a second genus, distinguished by the serrated edge 

 of the preopercular. Another well-known member of the family is the black-fish 

 (Tautoga onitis), of the Atlantic coast of North America, so named on account of 

 its blackish brown colour, and the sole representative of a genus characterised by 

 the naked opercular, the rudimental scales on the cheek, and the double row of 

 teeth in the jaws. 



Parrot-wrasses. , Since their Mediterranean representative (Scarus cretensis) was 



a fish held in high estimation among the ancients, brief mention must 



be made of the parrot- wrasses, of which the other species are inhabitants of the 



tropical parts of the Atlantic. These fishes are easily recognised by their sharp 



silvery viviparous wrasse (?- nat. size). 



beak, caused by the coalescence of the teeth; and also by the lower jaw projecting 

 in front of the upper. Of the splendidly coloured Mediterranean species Dr. 

 Giinther writes that " it was most plentiful and of the best quality in the 

 Carpathian Sea, between Crete and Asia Minor, but was not unknown, even in 

 early times, on the Italian coasts, though Columella says it seldom passed beyond 

 Sicily in his day. But in the reign of Claudius, according to Pliny, Opt a 1 us 

 Elipentius brought it from the Troad, and introduced it into the sea between 

 Ostium and Campania. For five years all that were caught in the nets were 

 thrown into the sea again, and from that time it was an abundant fish in that 

 locality, In the time of Pliny it was considered to be the first of fishes; and the 

 •expense incurred by Elipentius was justified, in the opinion of the Romas 

 gourmands, by the extreme delicacy of the flesh." This fish feeds on seaweed : 

 and the mastication required to reduce this to a pulp probably gave rise to tin' old 

 idea that it was a ruminant. 



viviparous For the want of a better one, tin' members of the small family 



wrasses. Ditrematidce may be termed, on acccount of their peculiar repro- 



