BRAIZE OR BECKER. 



103 



have been considering two distinct fishes, neither of which 

 accord with the true Pagrus. The name of this fish is said 

 to be derived from phagrus, e, phago, 'to eat,' from its vora- 

 city ; and its food is partly sea-weed, with shrimps and tes- 

 taceous animals. Mr. Couch says that it appears on the 

 Cornish coast in moderately deep water throughout the 

 summer and autumn, but retires in winter and spring. The 

 young are but rarely seen. In the North of Ireland, at 

 Belfast bay, Antrim, and Londonderry, a fish belonging to 

 the Sparida is taken, called the Brazier, Avhich is said to 

 be the Pagrus, but may, perhaps, prove to be the Sea 

 Bream, Pagellus centrodontus : — farther observation is re- 

 quired to decide this species correctly. M. Risso says that 

 in the Mediterranean this fish frequents deep water near 

 rocks ; and the females are full of roe in summer. The 

 number of fin-rays are : — 



D. 12 + 10 : P. 15 : V. 1 + 5 : A. 3 -|- 8 : C. 17. 



The muzzle is blunt, as in Chri/sophri/s, but the body is a 

 little more elongated ; the eye large, the irides golden yellow ; 

 the mouth large ; the teeth are as described in the characters 

 of the genus, and a representation of their arrangement forms 

 the subject of the vignette. Part of the dorsal and anal fins 

 are hid in a groove formed by the elevation 

 of the edges of the scales at the bases of 

 the fins. The prevailing colour of the body 

 is silvery tinged with red, without any me- 

 tallic markings on the head, or any dark spot 

 at the origin of the lateral line : fin-mem- 

 branes white, tinged with rose colour ; the 

 dorsal fin darkest at the posterior part ; the 

 pectorals red, with occasionally a violet- 

 coloured spot at their origin. 



