THE FRECKLED GOBY. 243 



The freckled goby seems to be a common fish in sandy 

 bays throughout the British coast. I have met with it re- 

 peatedly on the west coast of Scotland, as well as in Eng- 

 land, on the south coast of Devon. In the Firth of Forth 

 it is taken on the Musselburgh and Portobello sands in 

 shrimping-nets ; and on one occasion I met with it as high 

 up as Alloa, where it was found in a spirling-net in the 

 early part of November. Those gobies when young de- 

 light in small shallow pools to bask more immediately 

 under the rays of the sun, when they fall a prey to 

 aquatic birds. When disturbed they are remarkably ac- 

 tive, darting about in all directions ; and, in consequence 

 of their backs being precisely of the same colour as the 

 sand on which they repose, will, when stationary, evade 

 the eye of the most patient observer. Their food is small 

 marine insects. They spawn in the month of June. The 

 flesh, although sweet and well-flavoured, is never used as 

 food. 



Gobius minutus is more nearly allied to Gracilis and Uni- 

 punctatus than to any of the rest. In Gracilis the last rays 

 of the second dorsal fin are longer than the preceding ones ; 

 in Minutus they are shorter. Unipunctatus has a large black 

 spot on the membrane of the two last rays of the first dor- 

 sal fin ; Minutus has no spot in that part. 



Gobius unipunctatus. — The One spotted Goby. Par. 



Specific Characters. — Dorsal fins remote; anterior rays of the se- 

 cond dorsal fin longer than the succeeding ones ; caudal fin even ; 

 first dorsal with six rays ; a large black spot on the summit of the 

 membrane between the last two rays of the first dorsal fin. (See 

 Plate XXIX.) 



Description. — From a specimen two inches and a half in length. 

 Body rather elongated, rounded in front, compressed at the tail ; flat- 

 tened on the nape ; head long in proportion to its depth, one fourth 

 of the length, including half the caudal rays ; operculum and preoper- 



0. 2 



