THICK-LIPPED GKEY MULLET. 207 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. MUGILJDJE. 



THE THICK-LIPPED GREY MULLET. 



Mugil chelo, Cuvier, Eegne An. t. ii. p. 232. 



,, labrosus, Risso, Hist. Nat. t. iii. p. 389. 



,, chelo, P. MusiGNANO, Faun. Ital. pt. vi. 



„ Couch, MS, 



Mr. Couch appears to be the only naturalist who has 

 noticed the appearance of Mugil chelo on the British coast. 

 A decided difference observed in the habits of this Grey 

 Mullet compared with those of M. capita led to an ex- 

 amination of its specific characters, and a knowledge of 

 the fact that it was a distinct species, which, though well 

 known to modern Continental Ichthyologists, had not pre- 

 viously been noticed by observers here. 



Mr. Couch's communication is as follows : — 

 " This Grey Mullet is gregarious, frequenting harbours 

 and the mouths of rivers in the winter months in large 

 numbers, all of which are just of one size. I have heard 

 of so many as two tons being taken at one time : but the 

 fish which I shall here describe was taken with about four 

 hundred others as they were left in a pool of our river, 



