I'oi ACAXTHOPTERYGII. 



specimen -was found by Dr. Drummond. These are respectively 4|, 5, 

 and 5| inches in length, and those sent from Cornwall to Mr. Yarrell 

 being about the same size, render it probable that they may be full 

 grown. Their colour in spirits varies slightly, but the one which best 

 retains its original markings may be described as having the sides of a 

 deep salmon colour, with a dusky tinge ; upper part of head purple ; 

 upper margin of eye and orbit blackish ; sti'ipes of violet and orange al- 

 ternating below the eye longitudinally to near the mouth, where they be- 

 come vertical; belly silvery white ; some of the scales, including those 

 on which the lateral line appears, tinged with a golden metallic lustre ; 

 dorsal fin violet-blue at the base, with an orange stripe above ; anal fin 

 violet-blue, striped with reddish orange ; pectoral fin brownish orange, 

 Avith a dark stripe at its outer base, as in C. Tinea ; ventral fin diaphanous, 

 tinged with orange ; caudal fin dusky, towards the tip blackish. The fin- 

 rays of these three specimens are : — 



D. 19 + 7 ; P. 14 : V. 1 -f 5 ; A. 5 + 7 ; C. 13 ? and some short= 

 Br. 5. 



D. 19 + 6 ; P. 13 ; V. 1 4- 5 ; A. 5 -f 7 ; C. 13, and some short. 



D. 20 + 6 ; P. 13 ; V. 1 + 5 ; A. 6 + 7 ; C. 15, and some short. 



In the number of spinous rays in the anal fin this species agrees with 

 a British Crenilabrus, the "Scale-rayed Wrasse" of Couch (Mag. Nat, 

 Hist., vol. V. pp. 18 and 742), which, however, diff"ers from it widely in 

 the form and number of the teeth, in the number of dorsal fin-rays (21 

 -\- 8), in having processes of imbricated scales between the rays of the 

 dorsal and anal fins, and, above all, in form, being " very much elong- 

 ated." With the L. exoletus, which has a wide range over the European 

 seas, it accords more nearly than with any other species I have seen de- 

 scribed. The number of spinous rays in the anal fin is the same, but the 

 L. exoletus, as described in detail by Risso (Hist. Nat. I'Eur. Merid. t. iii. 

 p. 329, ed. 1826), difl'ers from it in the number of rays in the dorsal fin 

 (20 + 9), and in having scales on its base, in the teeth (which are point- 

 ed), and in having a large black spot on the caudal fin. Linnaeus, in his 

 description of this fish {Lahrus exoletus, Syst. Nat. t. i. p. 479, ed. 13), 

 gives about the same number of rays in the fins as the Irish specimens 

 jiossess ; but the brevity of his description * precludes farther comparison, 

 and at the same time it leaves us in doubt Avhether his Lahrus exoletus 

 and the Crenilabrus microstoma may not be identical. 



[The foregoing observations were published by Mr. Thompson in the 

 Magazine of Zool. and Bot., vol. ii. lie had previously contributed to 

 the Zool. Pvoc, 1837, a short notice of the specimen found by Dr. Drum- 

 mond. — Ed.] 



Mr. M'Calla wrote to me as follows, from Roundstone, 25th Septem- 

 ber, 1840 :— 



" I have this day seen a specimen of Crenilabrus microstoma, about six 

 inches long, taken here. I could not get it from the person, but as I 

 have some boys engaged fishing for me I trust to secure specimens of it. 

 I am positive as to the species, for I have your paper on this family and 

 it is figured." 



* " Pinna dorsali ramentacea corpore lineis caeruleis, pinna ani spinis 5. D. 

 19.25 ; P. 13 ; V. 1.6 ; A. 5.13 ; C. 13." 



