36 



Instead of being simply scarlet, I have seen it with, the 

 dorsal fin remarkably wide, the margin purple, the base 

 yellow, and the middle red, the Specimen about 18 inches 

 long. The C. Taenia probably does not differ from this 

 Species. It is not uncommon. 



GREY MULLET. Mugil Capito. Jenyns, p. 374. Yar- 

 rell's Br. F., vol. 1. p. 200. Common. 



THICKLIPPED MULLET. M. Chelo. Yarrell's Br. F., 

 vol. 1, p. 207. Common, sometimes in great numbers. The 

 pea of both these kinds of Mullets is shed in harbours, and 

 the mouths of rivers ; and the young, which associate in 

 Shoals, are commonly at the margin of the tide, and often 

 in freshwater. 



ATHERINE. Atherina Presbyter. Jenyns, p. 377. Yar- 

 rell's Br. F., vol. 1 , p. 377. Smelt : — a word fancifully in- 

 terpreted by Pennant, to signify a peculiar odour ; but de- 

 rived from the transparent appearance of two or three Spe- 

 cies bearing it, and signifying to melt ; in which sense it is 

 still employed in the liquefaction of metals from their ore. 

 No less than three kinds of British Fishes have been called 

 Smelt: — the immature Salmon, another Species of the same 

 Genus (S. Eperlanus) and the Atherine; and the propriety 

 of carefully distinguishing between these and other Fishes, 

 that may chance to bear corresponding designations in dif- 

 ferent parts of the Kingdom, will appear from the fact, that 

 it was a recommendation of a Committee of the House of 

 Commons on the Salmon Fisheries, to inflict a penalty on 

 the possession of a Whiting at the prohibited season ; for- 

 getting that the latter name is far more commonly applied 

 to a Fish of the Cod than Salmon kind. 



BLENNIES. 



GATTORUGINE. Blennius Gaitorugine. Jenyns, p. 379. 

 Yarrell's Br. F., vol. 1, p. 227. Tompot. Common. 



MONTAGU'S BLENNY. B. Montagui. Jenyns, p. 381. 

 Yarrell's Br. F., vol. 1, p. 219. Not uncommon. 



SHANNY. B. Pholis. Jenyns, p. 382. Yarrell's Br. F., 

 vol. 1, p. 230. Common. 



SPOTTED GUNNEL. B. Gunnelhis. Jenyns, p. 303. 

 Yarrell's Br. F., vol. 1, p. 239. Butterfish. Nine Eyes. 

 I have no doubt that the word Gunnel, first applied to 

 this Fish by Ray, and supposed by him to be its Cornish 

 name, is a corruption of the word Gunwhale, from the 

 part of the bout which the form of the Fish was supposed 

 to resemble ; but I question whether it was any thing more 

 than a momentary iuvention of his informant, who probably 

 knew no name for the Species. 



