310 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



colour of the body pale ashy-brown, somewhat lighter be- 

 neath the lateral line ; sides richly marked with scarlet spots 

 of different sizes ; the whole of the under surface from the 

 pectorals to the tail brilliant scarlet ; fins margined ante- 

 riorly with an opaque white stripe followed by a blackish- 

 brown portion passing posteriorly into deep crimson ; tail 

 blackish-brown ; nose and front part of the head marked 

 by a black spot ; dorsal fin of the same pale brown colour 

 as the back, slightly inclining to blue. Apparently a male. 

 No. 2, back brown, becoming gradually paler beneath ; 

 abdomen and lower parts dingy white, tinged with bluish 

 colour ; ventral and anal fins margined with white, the re- 

 maining parts flesh colour ; pectorals reddish-brown ; dor- 

 sal and caudal fins blackish-brown ; sides marked with ob- 

 scure pale yellowish-red spots. A male specimen, which 

 apparently had spawned. No. 3, of a blackish-brown co- 

 lour, somewhat silvery, paler beneath the lateral line, and 

 passing into yellowish -white on the belly ; pectoral, ventral, 

 and anal fins brown, tinged with red ; dorsal and caudal 

 fins brownish-black ; upper part of the head of the same 

 colour ; sides marked with numerous, very pale, almost co- 

 lourless spots. No. 4 resembles the last described, but 

 smaller in size ; these the fishermen named Geld-fish, full- 

 grown and half-grown. No. 5 very dark, brownish-black 

 upon the back and sides, becoming gradually paler beneath 

 the lateral line ; pectoral, ventral, and anal fins distinctly 

 margined anteriorly with opaque white ; the central por- 

 tion of these fins brownish-black, and their interior margins 

 flesh colour ; upper part of the head dark ; belly dingy red. 

 No. 6 resembles the preceding, except that the under sur- 

 face instead of being dingy red, is pale reddish-white ; ven- 

 tral and anal fins reddish-brown, margined anteriorly with 

 Avhite ; pectorals reddish-brown ; dorsal brownish-black ; 



