couch's serranus. 13 



This species, Mr. Couch states, in the memoir above 

 referred to, " approaches the Cornish coast under pecu- 

 liar circumstances. When a piece of timber, covered 

 with barnacles, is brought by the currents from the more 

 southern regions, which these fishes inhabit, considerable 

 numbers of them sometimes accompany it. In the alacrity 

 of their exertions, they pass over the wreck in pursuit 

 of each other, and sometimes, for a short space, are 

 left dry on the top, until a succeeding wave bears them 

 off again. From the circumstance of their being usually 

 found near floating wood covered with barnacles, it might 

 be supposed that this shell-fish forms their food ; but 

 this does not appear to be the case, since, in many that 

 were opened, nothing was found but small fishes. Perhaps 

 these young fishes follow the floating wood for the sake of 

 the insects that accompany it, and thus draw the Stone-Basse 

 after them." 



It would be unsafe to venture on a statement of the 

 number of fin-rays from a drawing ; but the woodcut at 

 the head of the page is an exact copy, reduced in size, of 

 the original representation. Mr. Couch uses the terms 

 totus argenteus in reference to the colour of this fish, 

 and it may therefore be concluded that its prevailing 

 tint is silvery white, the ends of all the fins considerably 

 darker. The attention of naturalists on our southern coast 

 is respectfully invited to a close examination of such spe- 

 cies of Serrani as come under their notice, in the hope 

 of obtaining a more perfect knowledge of an interesting 

 species apparently new. A figure of the Stone-Basse of 

 Sloane is added at the foot of the next page, to show by 

 comparison that the Stone-Basse of Mr. Couch is not, as 

 has been supposed, the Stone-Basse of Sloane ; which latter 



