THE CONNOR. 26 1 



and lobster-pots. The largest specimen I have met with 

 does not exceed the length of seven inches and a half, and 

 the stomach of most of those that were examined was filled 

 with shrimps and small star-fish. The flesh when boiled 

 has a bluish- white appearance with a very disagreeable tarry 

 flavour. They are said to spawn in the month of April. 



We are informed by Mr Yarrell that this species has 

 much the habits of the goldsinny, and is not uncommon on 

 the Sussex, Hampshire, and Devonshire coasts, and that 

 it has been taken at Londonderry, Dublin, and in Belfast 

 Bay. 



This fish is distinguished from the last in having the pre- 

 operculum denticulated, and from the following one in the 

 base of the tail below the lateral line being without a black 

 spot. There are, however, three other British Wrasses 

 that have dentations on the preoperculum, closely resem- 

 bling the present one, viz., Crenilabrus gibbus, C. luscus, 

 and C. rupestris, which, I have no doubt, have occasion- 

 ally occurred on the west coast of Scotland, but have been 

 confounded with C. tinea. C. gibbus is distinguished from 

 C. tinea in being much deeper in proportion to its length, 

 the depth being considerably more than one-third the length 

 of the whole fish ; in C. tinea the depth is not more than one 

 third of the length, if so much. C. luscus has the interven- 

 ing membranes of the dorsal rays furnished with imbricated 

 scales ; in C tinea there are no scales on that part. C. rupes- 

 tris is recognised by having a conspicuous dark spot on the 

 base of the upper part of the tail, and no spot below the 

 caudal extremity of the lateral line ; in C. tinea there is no 

 dark spot on the base of the tail either above or below 

 the lateral line. Crenilabrus rupestris i the same as Lut- 

 janus rupestris of Bloch, and Labrus Cornubicus of Pen- 



