100 SPARIDE. 



The renewal of the teeth in fishes seems to take place 

 at uncertain periods, apparently with some reference to 

 the accidental wants of the animal; the new tooth some- 

 times grows beneath, sometimes at the side, or behind or 

 before the old teeth, which are loosened at their attachment, 

 not worn down, and thus thrown off. 



Fishes may have teeth attached to all the bones that 

 assist in forming the cavity of the mouth and pharynx ; 

 to the intermaxillary, maxillary, and palatine bones, the 

 vomer, the tongue, the branchial arches supporting the 

 gills, and the pharyngeal bones : there are genera, the 

 species of which have teeth attached to all these various 

 bones : sometimes these teeth are uniform in shape, at 

 others differing. One or more of these bones are some- 

 times without teeth of any sort ; and there are fishes that 

 have no teeth whatever on any of them. The teeth are 

 named with reference to the bone upon which they are 

 placed, and are referred to as intermaxillary, maxillary, 

 palatine, vomerine, &c., depending upon their position. 



To return to the Gilt -head : — The body is deepest at 

 the commencement of the dorsal fin : the head short and 

 elevated ; the irides golden yellow, the pupils black ; the 

 semilunar spot over the eye of a brilliant golden colour ; 

 and there is a violet-coloured patch at the upper part of 

 the edge of the operculum : the scales of the cheeks smaller 

 than those of the body : the teeth in an adult fish are as 

 shown by the vignette, but in young fishes of this species 

 the teeth are fewer in number. The fin-rays are : — 



D. 11 + 13 : P. 16 : V. 1+5 : A. 3+11 : C. 17. 



The back is silvery grey shaded with blue ; the belly like 

 polished steel, with longitudinal golden-coloured bands on 



