314 ME. F. DAT ON SOME BRITISH FISHES. 



Not only do we see changes of form in this fish occurring with 

 age, but the vividness of the colours also diminishes. In Cuvier 

 and Valenciennes it is observed that the back and fins of Labrus 

 Donovani are green, the under surface of the throat yellowish, 

 abdomen olivaceous. A longitudinal silvery streak divides the 

 darker back from the pale sides, and some white bands exist on 

 the head and abdomen. Couch found in Labrus cornier the 

 ground-colour of a rich, deep mahogany-red, with pale streaks 

 on the head and a wide white band along the body ; abdomen 

 reddish, tail with six broad transparent patches irregularly ar- 

 ranged, and dots of very dark brown at the base of the rays. 

 He tells us that " a few hours after death these spots generally 

 vanished, and the colours became uniform. 1 ' In Steindachner's 

 example the white lateral band is seen, but those 'upon the head 

 have vanished. 



The true Comber "Wrasse may be defined as invariably possessing 

 a white lateral band along the body from the eye to the centre 

 of the base of the caudal fin. My Jersey specimen is immature, 

 as demonstrated by its fins, while its entire length is 5^ inches. 

 Its colours were very beautiful when I first saw it, although it 

 had been some time out of the sea. The back was red, separated 

 by a white lateral band from an olive dashed-with-red abdomen. 

 Some irregular dark bands went from the back down the sides, 

 while the lower half of the body had numerous light spots. A 

 white dark-edged band passed from the snout through the centre 

 of the eye, terminating in the white lateral body-band. A second 

 band crossed from the angle of the mouth below the eye on to 

 the opercle, while a lighter one existed along the subopercle. 

 The spinous portion of the dorsal fin had dull reticulations ; an 

 oblique and broad light band crossed the soft dorsal, which was 

 also spotted, and had a dark mark at the base of the last five 

 rays. Three black dots at the base of the pectoral fin ; anal with 

 a dark spot at the root of the third spine and a light ocellus on 

 the base of the central rays ; caudal with some black spots, giving 

 the appearance as if the fin had been reticulated. 



The Comber Wrasse may be red or green, but with a light lateral 

 body-band, those on the head being present or absent. Its fin- 

 rays, scales, and proportions are identical with what obtains in 

 the Ballan Wrasse, Labrus mactdatus, with which it must in future 

 be included as one of its many variations in colour, 



