SPANISH BREAM. 105 



blance to the Sea Bream, and will best be described in com- 

 parison witb it. It is the size of a small Sea Bream ; the 

 body rather more slender ; head flatter on the top ; eyes 

 smaller, inclining to oval : before the eye the head is more 

 protruded ; the mouth with a wider gape ; front teeth as in 

 the Sea Bream, grinders more broad and blunt ; scarcely 

 a depression before the eyes to receive the nasal orifices, 

 though in the Sea Bream they are conspicuous : fins as in 

 the Sea Bream, even to the numbers of the rays, except the 

 pectoral, which in the Sea Bream reaches opposite to the 

 third ray of the anal fin — in this fish opposite only to the 

 vent : there is no lateral spot. This description agrees so 

 well with what Ray delivers of the Eri/thrtnus, Syn. Pise. 

 p. 182, that I suppose it to be the same fish. The name 

 given above is that by which it is known to our fishermen. 

 It is rare, as I have never seen above two or three specimens, 

 which were taken with Sea Bream, and with the same kind 

 of baits. Its habits seem to be like those of the Sea 

 Bream." 



To this may be added, that the food of this species con- 

 sists of small fishes and testaceous animals. They swim in 

 small shoals ; visiting the shore in spring, and remaining till 

 autumn. Neither Pennant nor Mr. Donovan have included 

 the Spanish Bream in their accounts of British Fishes ; but 

 Mr. Walcott, whose MS. and drawings have been already 

 mentioned, and will frequently be referred to, appears to 

 have met with it at Teignmouth ; and his drawings contain 

 a most accurate representation of this fish. 



The number of fin-rays are :-:— 



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



The figure of this fish at the head of the page is from the 

 work of Cuvier and M. Valenciennes. I should have availed 



