SPARID^. 29 



Hahits. — It feeds on sea-weeds and occasionally devours small marine animals, 

 but appears to subsist chiefly on a vegetable diet. 



Means of capture.—ln Provence and Nice peculiar kinds of nets, termed 

 hughiera, are said to be employed for taking these fishes, while for good luck the 

 boats are adorned with silver figures of the hogue. 



Breeding. — It is stated to spawn twice a year near the shore. 



As ffood. — It is good and digestible according to Rondel, but on the 

 Atlantic coast of Spain, Cornide described them as disagreeable in taste, and only 

 eaten by the poor : while on the coast of Provence it is especially esteemed when 

 full of spawn, according to Valenciennes. 



Habitat. — Prom the southern shores of the British isles as far south as 

 Madeira and the Canaries, while an example, said to have been obtained from 

 St. Vincent's, in the West Indies, is in the British Museum. It is also common 

 throughout the Mediterranean. 



The first example observed in this country was at Falmouth, in October, 1843, 

 when one was taken in a ground seine along with some mullets : several examples 

 have since been captured at the same place. June 26th, 1872, one was caught 

 near Plymouth ; and March 15th, 1873, a specimen, 12 inches long, was obtaiaed 

 in a herring-net at Helford Harbour. 



It attains at least 16 inches in length, as seen in a specimen from Lisbon in 

 the British Museum. For the example figured, life-size, I am indebted to 

 Professor Peters, Director of the Zoological Museum at Berlin.* 



* MsBna vulgaris, Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



Mendole, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, i, p. 206, pi. xlvi. 



This fish may be an occasional wanderer into the British seas. I think, 

 however, that the single example recorded, which was not kept, must from the 

 description have been Box vulgaris, the only difBerence given, being that it was 

 said to have pointed teeth. 



