256 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



A short time since some fishermen at Queensferry ob- 

 serving the water very much discoloured at a particular 

 spot near the shore, proceeded to discover the cause, and on 

 poking the bottom a few seconds with a long handled mop, 

 found that a sea-devil had taken hold of it with an intent 

 of making it a mouthful, and the fish not being able to ex- 

 tricate its teeth in sufficient time from the woolly substance 

 of the mop, it was hauled into the boat by the fishermen. 

 It measured four feet nine inches in length. 



Family X. LABRID^E. — Body oblong, covered wiih 

 large scales ; dorsal fin one, with the greater part of the rays 

 spinous, and the intervening membrane extending a little 

 beyond their point ; lips thin and doubled back, giving an 

 appearance as if thick and fleshy ; pharyngeal bone armed 

 with blunt teeth ; the tail fin of all those inhabiting the 

 British waters is rounded at the extremity. 



Genus LABRUS. — Preoperculum without dentations; 

 cheeks and operculum scaly. 



Labrus maculatus.* — The Ballan Wrasse. 



Specific Character. — Last ray but five of the dorsal fin more than 

 twice the length of the third ray of the same fin. 



Description. — From a specimen fifteen inches in length. Head 

 one-fourth of the entire length, caudal fin included ; body of an ob- 

 long oval form ; dorsal line from the soft part of the dorsal fin to the 

 nape nearly straight, from thence falling gradually to the upper lip ; 

 sides but slightly compressed ; covered with large thin scales, about 

 fifty forming the lateral line. Colour of the head, back, and sides, 

 bluish-green, with an obscure white spot on each scale, presenting a 

 mottled appearance ; belly orange-red ; cheeks greenish, striped with 

 pale red ; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins bluish-green, with pale light 

 blue spots ; pectoral and ventrals orange-red ; in some specimens the 

 whole body, fins included, of a uniform reddish-brown, but liable to 

 great variation in colour. Dorsal fin commencing in a line over the 



* Labrus maculatus, Yarr., Jen., Penn., Bloch. Labrus tinea, Don. 



