168 Notice of the Lutjanus rupeslris. 



ly belonged to the Labrus maculatus, Yarrell, (Ballan Wrasse,) but 

 three specimens of a different kind were fortunately preserved, two 

 of which, picked up in Berwick Bay, were secured by Dr Johnston., 

 the third found near Barncleugh, was sent to me, a day or two after 

 the event which cast them on shore. Upon consulting different ichthyo- 

 logical writers, these fish appear to be identical with Jago's Gold- 

 sinny, as figured and described in Ray's Synopsis Av. et Pise. 

 App. p. 163, fig. 3, where the rude engraving accurately expresses 

 the specific markings of the species ; and with Bloch's Lutjanus ru- 

 pestris, whose detailed description and figure also agree in every re- 

 spect with the specimens in question. It does not appear, however, 

 to be the Goldsinny of Pennant and subsequent writers, who under 

 that name have figured and described a different species. This error 

 seems to have originated with. Pennant, who having never seen or 

 examined the true Goldsinny of Jago, has incorporated in his slight 

 notice of that fish the description of another species, to which his fi- 

 gure refers. Bloch seems to have entertained this opinion, for al- 

 though he has quoted Pennant's Goldsinny as a synonym of his Lutj. 

 rupcslris, supposing it to refer to Jago's fish, he afterwards, in the 

 last paragraph of his description, remarks, that the fish described 

 and figured by Pennant could scarcely be the same as the Goldsinny 

 of Jago, or his hut. rupeslris, as it differed from it in figure, pecu- 

 liar markings, and in the number of the hard rays of the dorsal fin. 

 The true Goldsinny seems to have escaped the notice of subsequent 

 writers, as the figures and descriptions we possess are all referable 

 to the other species, distinguished by a black or dark spot at the 

 base of the caudal fin, but always situated upon or rather below the 

 lateral line, and not upon the upper edge of the base of the tail, as 

 in the true Goldsinny of Jago ; it also wants the black patch upon the 

 anterior portion or rays of the dorsal fin ; both of which specific cha- 

 racters are accurately displayed in Bloch's figure, as well as in the 

 less finished engraving in Ray's Synopsis. 



Mr Yarrell, to whom a specimen has been submitted, considers it as 

 distinct from any of the species described in his beautiful work on the 

 British fishes, though bethinks, and we agree with him, that the small 

 figure constituting the vignette to page 301 , is perhaps referable to it 

 rather than to the Scale-rayed Wrasse, the young of which it was sup- 

 posed to be by M. Couch, but to which it bears very little resemblance. 

 In that figure, taken from a specimen about three inches in length, 

 the black spot at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin is ex- 

 pressed, but no indication of the other at the anterior part of the dor- 

 sal fin : in shape it agrees pretty well with my specimen. With 



