260 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



dusky blue ; cheeks bluish-green with longitudinal lines of red ; belly" 

 pale ; dorsal, caudal, and anal fins, blue, spotted and streaked with 

 red ; pectorals yellowish-blue without spots or marks. Dorsal fin 

 commencing in a line over the posterior margin of the operculum and 

 ending, the length of the ventral fin rays, from the base of the tail ; 

 the first ray the shortest about one third the length of the pectorals, 

 the rest gradually increasing to the last ray but three of the soft por- 

 tion, the first seventeen rays sharp and spiny, the rest soft and flexi- 

 ble. Anal fin commencing in a line under the fourteenth ray of the 

 dorsal and terminating immediately under the last ray of the same 

 fin ; the first three rays strong and spiny, the rest branched and flexi- 

 ble ; the terminating rays, except the last ray, rather the longest ; 

 ventrals placed behind the base of the pectorals, the rays not reach- 

 ing to the vent ; pectorals rounded at the end^ the upper rays the 

 longest, reaching' as far as in a line under the ninth ray of the dorsal 

 fin ; tail rounded at the end, with all the rays branched except the 

 two or three lateral ones. Eyes placed high on the head, the upper 

 margin of the orbit in a line with the ascending extremity of the pre- 

 operculum. Teeth stout and conical, arranged in two rows in each 

 jaw, the second row very indistinct, confined to the anterior part., 

 about six above and four below, those in the first row, ten above 

 and fourteen below, the front ones longer and stouter than the rest, 

 no teeth on the tongue, vomer, or palatines : operculum smooth, end- 

 ing in two soft points, directing back over the base of the pectorals ; 

 preoperculum angular, margined with a number of sharp minute 

 points, scarcely perceptible except in the dried state. Scales on the 

 body large and thin, those on the operculum and cheeks smaller ; pre- 

 operculum without scales. Lateral line commencing over the middle 

 of the upperpart of the operculum, taking a slight bendat its origin, fol- 

 lowing the dorsal curve as far as the posterior part of the flexible rays, 

 where it makes an oblique turn down for a short course, from thence 

 passing straight to the base of the middle caudal ray. Number of fin 

 rays — <■ 



D. 24; P. 14; V. 6; A. 13; C. 13. 



This fish has no particular name in the Firth of Forth 

 further than that of wrasse or old wife, and is not distin- 

 guished by the fishermen from the last species, with which 

 they always confound it. On the rocky parts of Preston- 

 pans, North Berwick, Largo, and Burntisland, they are net 

 unfrequentlymet with, and, what is singular, they are scarce- 

 ly ever taken with the hook, but mostly found in crab-cage- 



