Occurrence of Gobius capito in Cornwall. 585 
goby par excellence, is about 5 inches. The chances of 
finding a paganellus 9 inches long, or, perhaps, an unrecorded 
species, would have induced those interested, one would have 
supposed, to have made a definite raid on the rock-pools of 
Polperro. 
It is quite possible, of course, that G. capito is very local, 
for where it occurs it is abundant, and when of large size a 
very conspicuous fish, Specimens of from 7 to 9 inches in 
length would dart away to their hiding-places directly one 
showed oneself over the fringing rocks around any of those 
deep pools whose position and character Couch has so well 
described. Certainly to the casual observer specimens of 4 
or 5 inches would not at a glance be distinguished from 
G. niger; but the broader, more inflated head, darker colour 
(in preserved specimens), and different markings of these 
rock-pool gobies arrest attention at once. 
The greater width between the eyes and the free lateral 
lobes on the anterior membrane of the ventral fin are not, 
however, so marked as in the larger adult specimens. It is 
strange also, and perhaps the fact lends colour to the possi- 
bility of the restricted localization of this species, that in 
these pools, and, indeed, in all the tidal pools along the coast, 
not a single specimen of G. paganellus was taken. 
Perhaps the pools are not large enough for both species to 
exist together in amity, possibly G. capito will not tolerate 
neighbours of another colour in his special pools; and if so, 
one can well understand that poor paganellus would go to the 
wall, or, more probably, down his cousin’s throat, for capito 
is very strong, much larger, and with a healthy appetite. 
In a single large pool on the upper rocks, reached only by 
the spring-tides, there must have been twenty or thirty of the 
giant goby. Like all the gobies, they are very voracious, 
dashing out and seizing anything that appears to them eat- 
able, retiring to their dens to discuss the morsel at leisure. 
Otherwise they are exceedingly shy, and even a hand held up 
above the pool from behind the rocks against the sky-line will 
scare them to their deep retreats in one or other far corner of 
the pool. These holes are often a couple of feet deep, and at 
a time of general alarm become half-filled with gobies of all 
sizes which rush to them for shelter. 
As soon as everything has quieted down, one by one the 
smaller fish sally forth again, but it is only with very great 
caution that the larger and more experienced will adventure 
themselves outside. First the snout, then very slowly the 
broad flat head and watchful eyes appear at the entrance of 
