GOBIID^. 163 



the eye and the first dorsal fin is equal to that between the end of the snout and 

 the angle of the preopercle. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout : 

 its upper 6 or 7 rays silk-like. Ventrals short, extending 2/3 of the distance to the 

 vent. Caudal rounded. An anal papilla present. Scales — except in the anterior 

 portion of the body, ctenoid, 15 to 17 rows between the origin of the second dorsal 

 and anal fins. Some scales on the upper portion of the opercle, the remainder of 

 the head scaleless, while superiorly some extend as far forward as the eyes : about 

 35 rows anterior to the base of the dorsal fin. Colours — the body is nearly 

 black, becoming lighter on the sides and beneath. The first dorsal fin is dark 

 with a light or orange outer edge, the lower two-thirds is mostly horizontally 

 banded, the lowest band terminating in a black spot behind the last spine. Second 

 dorsal and anal nearly black, with spots or blotches and a light or orange outer 

 edge. The other fins dark. 



In one male example among several from Weymouth, collected by the late 

 Professor Rolleston, p.e.s., the colours are much lighter than described above 

 being more similar to what obtains in G. niger and agreeing with 0. paganellm 

 C. v. The specimen is of a light brown or gray irregularly marked with darker, 

 and somewhat band-shaped descending bars on the posterior portion of the body. 

 Upper border of the first dorsal fin with an orange band, the rest of the fin 

 with irregular brownish horizontal bands : second dorsal spotted with brown or 

 light marks : pectoral with three or four band-like rows of spots : it, the caudal 

 and anal darkest externally. Ventral gray or gray with a light outer edge. A 

 small dark spot at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin : and a light spot 

 with a dark brown edge at the upper portion of the base of the pectoral fin. 

 This can scarcely be Moreau'sfish, with D. 6/^2-}^^, A. to-T2> ^- ^- 44-48, L. tr. 15. 



This species is of a much stouter shape than G. niger 



Mahits. — Does not appear to be so restricted to rocky localities as G. niger, but 

 its habits have still to be investigated. It is found under rocks at low tides in 

 Mounts Bay, Cornwall. 



Breeding. — In May or June. 



Habitat. — This species having been so mixed up with G. niger, it is difiicult to 

 give an opinion respecting which the various authors allude to. It has been recorded 

 from Tory Island off Donegal and Gal way (Thompson), also from Kenmare Bay 

 (Andrews, Joum. Hoy. Dub. Soc. v, 1866-70, p. 381), Cork (Thompson), and 

 Clonakilty (Leach) in Ireland. Firth of Forth in Scotland, and especially along 

 the south coast of England to Mounts Bay, and St. Ives : the English Channel, 

 Bay of Biscay, and as far south as Madeira, also the Mediterranean. 



The example figured, life size, is a male taken on the coast of Sussex; the 

 ventral fins are rather short in comparison with some other examples. The fish 

 attains to at least 4 inches in length. 



3. Gobius niger, Plate LII, fig. 3. 



Gohio niger, Rondel. 17, c. 17, p. 200 ; Gesner, p. 385 ; ? Schonov. p. 36 ; 

 Willughby, p. 206, t. N 12, f. 1 ; Ray, p. 76. Golius, No. 1, Artedi, Genera, 

 p. 28. Black Gohy, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1) ii, p. 203, pi. xxxviii (Ed. 2) 

 iii, p. 288, pi. xlii ; Low, Fauna Orcadensis, p. 205. 



Gohius niger, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 449 ; Retz. Faun. Suec. p. 326 ; Bloch, 

 t. xxxviii, f. 2, 3, 4, 5 ; Shaw, Brit. Zool. iv, p. 232, pi. xxxiv, f . 2 ; Miill. Prod. 

 Zool. Dan. p. 44 ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 94 ; Nilss. Prod. Zool. Suec. p. 93, and 

 Skand. Fauna, iv, p. 219 ; Jenyns, Manual, p. 385 ; Thompson, Prop. Zool. Soc. 

 1835, p. 80, and Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. Ill ; Ekstr. Fische Morko, p. 255 ; 

 Fries och Ekstrom, Skand. Fisk. p. 157, t. xxxvi ; Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (Ed. 1) 

 i, p. 251, c. fig. (Ed. 2) i, p. 281 (Ed. 3) ii, p. 318 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 (2) 1837, i, p. 410 ; Kroyer, Dan. Fiske, i, p. 382, c. fig. ; Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 9 ; 

 Parnell, Fishes Firth of Forth, p. 81, pi. xxix, and Wern. Mem. vii, p. 240, 

 pi. xxix, f. 1 ; Fries, Wiegm. Arch. 1840, p. 237 ; GLinther, Catal. iii, p. 11 ; 

 Mcintosh, Fish. St. Andrew's, p. 174; Collett, Norges Fis. p. 62; F. Heincke, 

 Arch. Nat. 1880, p. 306; Winther, Ich. Dan. Mar. 1879, p. 16; Moreau, Poiss. 

 France, ii, p. 230 (L. tr. 15-16). 



11 * 



