CONNOR. 



293 



A CANTHO P TER YGII. 



LABRWM. 



THE GILT-HEAD. CONNOR. 



GOLDEN MAID. 



Crenilubrus tinea, Risso, Hist. t. iii. p. 315, sp. 215. 



Labrus ,, Linnsus. 



Crenilabrus ,, Flem. Brit. An. p. 208, sp. 128, but not all the synonymes. 



Generic Characters. — The Crenilabri have all the external and internal cha- 

 racters of the true Labri, but are distinguished from them by the denticulation 

 of the edge of the preoperculum. They are generally a little deeper also in the 

 body compared with their length. 



This is the Ancient Wrasse and Common Wrasse of 

 those authors who describe a blue and yellow species with 

 a denticulated preoperculum. The Ancient Wrasse of Pen- 

 nant and others, described as having the margin of the 

 preoperculum entire, is the same with Pennant's Ballan 

 Wrasse, and the Labrus maculatus of Bloch. 



This species is not uncommon, and I have obtained it 

 on the coasts of Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorsetshire ; it 

 occurs also on the coast of South Wales ; and has been 

 taken at Londonderry, Dublin, and Belfast bay. In its 

 habits, as far as I am acquainted with them, it resembles 



