THE GOLDSINNY. 263 



recesses in preference to more open and sandy situations. 

 They feed on small shells and Crustacea, which are found 

 in the greatest abundance in those places they inhabit, and 

 on some occasions I have noticed their stomachs filled with 

 vegetable matter, and apparently the roe of other fishes. 

 At Brixham, one of the principal fishing ports on the south 

 coast of Devon, I had an opportunity of witnessing several 

 of these fish taken at the mouth of the harbour, in company 

 with the Labrus maculatus and Crenilabrus tinea, which 

 were in equal plenty. All the specimens were nearly of 

 equal dimensions, not exceeding four inches and a half in 

 length, which appears to be the average size, although on 

 two occasions I observed them considerably larger, one 

 measuring seven, and the other eight inches in length, with 

 the tail-spot well developed in each. Mr Jenyns has ob- 

 served this fish at Weymouth, and I have occasionally met 

 with it in the Firth of Forth, which is the most northern 

 locality in which it has yet been noticed. In the month of 

 August I obtained three specimens in a pool of water at 

 Inchkeith, and at Prestonpans they are now and then 

 taken by small hooks baited with pieces of mussel, their 

 mouths being too small to admit of being taken by the or- 

 dinary sized hook used for sea-fishing. Although I have 

 followed Mr Yarrell in the synonyms of this fish, yet there 

 is little doubt but that it has been confounded by him and 

 other authors with the Goldsinny of Jago, which is the 

 Lutjanus rupestris of Bloch, and Labrus Cornubicus of Pen- 

 nant. Perhaps the mistake first originated with Pennant, 

 who has described the Goldsinny of Jago, and figured the 

 Goldsinny of Yarrell, but forgotten to delineate the tail- 

 spot. Although his description is laconic, yet it is certain 

 it refers to the Goldsinny of Jago, for he says, u near the 

 tail is a remarkable black spot ; the Jirst rays of the dorsal 



