292 Jumping Wrasses. [CHAP. XVI. 
to see how it would perform there. It did just the same. 
Away it jumped, jump after jump, until I was fully satis- 
fied that there was no difference as to place; after which I 
put him again into his little aquarium. I now observed, 
however, that the tail, which is pretty large, was the chief 
and most important object used. The head and shoulders 
were first raised a little, and then, by a doubling of the tail, 
which acted as a kind of spring, the animal was, by a slight 
jerk, enabled to raise and propel itself forward, or to either 
side, and not unfrequently right over. In the water, too, 
when touched with any thing, instead of swimming away, 
as fish generally do, it merely leaped or jerked to one side 
in order to avoid the annoyance. I am not exactly aware 
whether this gymnastic performance is a common propen- 
sity with this family of fishes or not, but it was so with 
this specimen.” 
After further observations, Edward came to the conclu- 
sion that these little fishes were inhabitants of our own 
seas, but that they differed from those which Cuvier had 
described. He was of opinion that, from the differences 
which he had observed between the true wrasses and the 
fish in question, it might yet be necessary, after further in- 
vestigation, to place it in a new or sub-genus. In that case 
a portion of the name would require to be changed, and 
until then Edward held that its name should be the “ mi- 
croscopical wrasse of the Moray Firth.” 
Another batch of little fishes which Edward sent to Mr. 
Couch led to an interesting correspondence. Edward no 
sooner found an opening for further work on the sea-shore, 
than he went into it with enthusiasm. As Mr. Couch was 
approaching the conclusion of his work, Edward seemed 
to become more energetic than before. Thus Mr. Couch 
had written out and sent off his history and description of 
the Echiodon to be printed, before he knew of Edward’s 
discovery. And now there arrived from Banff another batch 
of specimens, containing a little fish, which Mr. Couch de- 
