126 ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



sent to me in a dried state by Dr. Ball, in December, 1835. On com- 

 paring it with Mr. Yarrell's specimens in London, I considered it L. 

 variegatits. 



May not Bloch's Lahnis vetula be L. variegatus ? There is only 

 colour against it, and this is nothing, unless he describes from recent 

 specimens. 



The Three-Spotted Wrasse, Labrus trimacidatus, Penn., 



Has been obtained on the North and North-East coasts, and also in the 

 West. 



The first native specimens of this fish -which I saw were taken at 

 Portrush, near the Giant's Causeway, by the collectors to the Ordnance 

 Survey. 



January 2, 1845. — I bought two fresh specimens of this fish which 

 were taken at Larne along with a Lab. variegatus. They are 9 and 

 10 inches long each ; their colours agree with Yarrell, p. 321 ; but it 

 may be added that the anal fin is broadly edged with pale blue, of which 

 colour there is a narrow edging to the dorsal and caudal fins likewise. 



On the top of the head there is a stripe of dark blue from eye to eye, 

 and a horse-shoe mark across the snout of the same colour before the 

 eyes, towards which the points are directed. Eyes deep brilliant red, a 

 stripe of dark blue across the upper portion, and a little of it below the 

 pupil. 



The smaller specimen has four conspicuous black spots on dorsal 

 ridge ; anterior to the first there is not a white spot, though, as usual, 

 white spots are before each of the other blackish ones. 



On mentioning the occurrence of these fish to my friend. Dr. Drum- 

 mond, he stated that when at Donaghadee, in the summer of 1843, he 

 saw three full-sized specimens of the three-spotted wrasse, taken in the 

 month of June ; and one taken in July was sent him to Belfast by Lieu- 

 tenant Davy, R. X. ; they were taken by boys fishing from the rocks. 



In Donovan's beautiful figure of this specimen (pi. 49) the D., A., P., 

 and V. fins are represented as being tipped with blue, but this colour 

 does not appear elsewhere. It would seem that the author had seen but 

 the one specimen. 



In the collection of the Royal Dublin Society there is an example pro- 

 cured by Mr. M'Calla, at Roundstone. A specimen taken at the 

 Wheelan's, near Larne, in May, 1847, was sent to the Belfast Museum. 

 It measured 11 inches in length, and was taken with "white bait." — 

 Nerei. 



M. Agassiz informs me that L. car7ieus, Risso, of which he possesses a spe- 

 cimen so named by that author, is a distinct species from the L. carneus, Bloch; 

 this latter being identical with L. trimaculatus as figured by Donovan. 



The Gilthead, Corkwixg, or Gibbous Wrasse, 



Crenilabrus Tinea, Flem., 



— Cornubicus, Risso, 



— Lahrus Cornubicus, Penn., 



— gibbus, Flem., 



Is found around the coast, and is, next to the Ballan wrasse, the most 

 common species. 



In the Zool. Proc. for June, 1835 (p. 81), I noticed the C. Cormtb. as 



