LABRID^E. 265 



inserted below the middle of the height of the body, and more than half as long 

 as the head. Third anal spine the longest. Caudal square or slightly rounded at 

 its extremity. Scales — six rows across the cheeks, some very minute ones on the 

 vertical tins, and a row between each caudal ray. Colours — variable, usually of a 

 pinkish or golden hue, darkest along the back. Fins reddish, the dorsal with a black 

 blotch on its commencement, extending from the first to the sixth spines ; while 

 there is another at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin. In some there 

 are several broad, dark vertical bands on the body ; in others a light band runs 

 half way along the side as shown in the figure on plate lxxiv. While there may 

 be a dark spot with a reddish tinge in the axilla of the pectoral fin. 



Pennant's Antient wrasse is said to have D. 19/9, A. 3/9, and the teeth in two 

 rows. Parnell and some others referred it to Grenilabrus melops. 



Varieties. — For examples having narrow black edges to the vertical fins, the 

 term G. ma/rginatus has been given. 



Names. — l'i)ik brame, two-spot brame, and poisoned brame, Dublin. Le 

 Ctenolabre des roches, French. 



Habits. — Does not frequent tidal harbours, but appears to keep to deep water. 

 This is one of the forms which has been observed to sleep at night time (Mobius, 

 Zool. Gart. 1867, p. 148, and Hughes, Zool. 1874, p. 3895). 



Means of capture. — By line-fishing, it is taken most readily on bright and 

 calm days. It approaches slowly and chews at the bait (erroneously believed to 

 be sucking, Blake-Knox) and is not unfrequently captured in crab-pots, or even 

 in the trawl. 



Baits. — Crab, lug worms, sea-mud, centipedes, and shell-fish. Is a very 

 slow taking fish, and is seldom hooked until the more ravenous kinds have ceased 

 to bite. It nibbles but does not gorge the bait (Blake-Knox). 



Breeding. — June full of ova (Dublin), April or May along the south coast of 

 Great Britain. 



As food. — Flesh bad, soft, insipid, foul smelling, of a greenish colour, and 

 cursed by the fishermen, who in Dublin Bay say, " when you catch a poison 

 brame, up lines and go home." 



Habitat. — Shores of Norway, Sweden, and along those of the North Sea and 

 Atlantic coasts of Europe to the Mediterranean, where it becomes rare towards 

 its eastern extremity. One example came ashore on a winter's day in Banffshire 

 (Edward) ; in the Firth of Forth they are occasionally cast ashore after easterly 

 gales (Parnell) ; in February, 1836, Johnston obtained three examples, two 

 picked up in Berwick Bay, and a third from near Bamborough, where it had been 

 thrown on the beach after a storm : Parnell records several from Northumberland 

 and Berwickshire ; four examples were obtained from Redcar in Yorkshire 

 (Meynell, 1814) ; not rare along the south coast of England, having been observed 

 at Brighton (J. Children) ; Mevagissey (Dunn) ; not uncommon in various parts 

 of Mount's Bay (R. Couch), while examples from Lyme Regis and Plymouth are 

 in the national collection. It has also been recorded from North Wales (T. 

 Eyton). 



In Ireland it is found on the N. E. and W. coasts, attaining to at least 6 inches 

 in length (Thompson). Two were observed in September, 1835, at Bangor, 

 county Down, using a species of nereis as a bait ; in February, 1836, one was cast 

 ashore at Barncleugh ; in June, 1838, Dr. Drummond, took one while dredging 

 about the entrance to Belfast Bay ; and Mr. McCalla obtained it at Roundstone. 



I am indebted to Mr. Dunn of Mevagissey for the example figured, which was 

 captured in September, 1881, and is shown life size. 



