THE GILTHEAD, CORKWIXG, OR GIBBOUS WRASSE. 127 



taken at Youghal by IJr. Ball, and I subsequently made the following 

 communications to the Zoological Society, and to the Magazine of Zoology 

 and Botany : — 



" Crenilabrus Tinea, Risso. Cren. Cornuhicus, Risso. Cren. gibhus, Flem 

 In the autumn of 1885 an attentive examination of specimens of the C. Tinea 

 and C Cornuhicus, of all sizes, and in a recent state, satisfied me of theii" iden- 

 tity. The depth of C Tinea in proportion to its length being found to vary con- 

 siderably, though not to the extent described in the Gihbus Wrasse of Pennant, 

 together witli the general accordance of other characters, disposed me at the 

 same time to believe that the C. gibbus is but an accidental variety of it." — 

 Zool. rroc, 1837. 



" Crenilabrus Tinca and C. Cornubicus of Authors. 



During the month of September, 1835, Avhich I spent at Bangor, on 

 the coast of Down, I embraced the opportunity of examining these 

 species in a recent state, as on every calm day they Avere in about equal 

 numbers caught from the rocks by lads, who provided me with them. 



This examination proved to my satisfaction that the C. Tinea and C. 

 Cornuhicus are not distinct. The colour was as commonly described, in 

 so far that the smaller specimens,* up to the length of six inches, — but 

 not all under this size, — had on the body at the base of the caudal fin the 

 black spot of C. Cornuhicus, and the larger (C. Tinea) wanted it ; also, in 

 the former being generally rather less brilliant in colour. Some specimens 

 of an intermediate size, however, had the above-named spot of an obscure 

 brown, suggesting that this spot, originally black, may change gradually 

 to this colour, and afterwards become obliterated — an eff'ect analogous to 

 which, but to a much greater extent, takes place, according to Agassiz, in 

 certain species of the Salmonidce. The dorsal fin was similar in all, the 

 spinous portion being marked alternately with longitudinal lines of 

 green and red, and the soft portion red, with roundish green spots. In 

 no other marking or distribution of colours was there any diff'erence be- 

 tween them. 



In not one of the many characters which come under the head of '/orwi' 

 was there any diff'erence ; the proportion of depth to length, denticula- 

 tions of pre-opercle and teeth, f being similar in both. In these characters 

 Mr. Jenyns considers the C Tinea and C Cornuhicus diff'er (Man. Brit. 

 Vert. p. 398), and from his great accuracy there cannot be a doubt that 

 they did so in the specimens he examined ; but it Avas, I presume, merely 

 individual, as the diff"erential characters he has assigned to each have 

 occurred to me in the other. 



Dr. Fleming has brought these species together (Brit. Anim. p. 208) ; 

 but we are not informed whether it was their general similarity, or an 

 actual examination of specimens, that led him to this conclusion. 



* In the collection of Dr. Ball, of Dublin, there are smaller specimens than 

 any obtained at Bangor. Ten of these which I examined, and of which several 

 were aboiU l\ inch long, had the black spot conspicuous. The largest indivi- 

 dual I have seen with this marking is 8| inches in length. It was procured on 

 the northern coast of Ireland in the course of the Ordnance Survey. 



t In two Bangor specimens of C. Cornuhicus there are fourteen teeth in the 

 lower jaw, a greater number than wliich is not possessed by any f. Tinca I ex- 

 amined with them. The second vow of teeth in the upper jaw is most apparent 

 in the larger individtials, or, in other words, in C. Tinea. 



