153 



just above the origin of the rays of the pectoral. Tail 

 lunated. 



P. 15. D. 12, 12. V. 1,5. A. 3, 13. C, about 20. 



Colours much as in the common Sea Bream, but more 

 vivid ; top of the head rich brown ; the back scarlet red, 

 lighter on the sides, the belly white, with slight mottliogs. 

 Dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins, and within the mouth, 

 vermillion; ventral and anal fins paler. Compared with the 

 common Sea Bream laid beside it, beside the remarkable 

 difference in the dimensions, it is distinguished by a wider 

 gape, by teeth less thickly placed, though resembling in 

 arrangement and structure, especially the incisors; by a less 

 rounded muzzle, a much larger eye, and longer pectorals, 

 which are also differently shaped, being more arched. In 

 a common Sea Bream of the same length ihese fins were 

 three inches and three quarters long. The scales also were 

 more decidedly waved at their edge. In the stomach I found 

 a Comatula and the bait, a slice of fish, with which it was 

 taken; but in the lower intestine were rather broad-pieces 

 of brown sea-weed, covered with Fluslrae, but this being 

 undigested, seems not to be its ordinary food. 



At the first glance I was led to suspect that this fish was 

 nothing more than a dumpy specimen of the common Sea 

 Bream; but it differed in so many particulars, beside the 

 shortened form, that on minute examination I have been 

 compelled to conclude that it is a separate species ; in which 

 opinion I am supported by the decision of an eminent 

 Naturalist. I have not been able to discover any species at 

 all closely resembling it in the works of Rondeletius, Gesner, 

 Ray, Linnaeus, Gronovius, Risso or Cuvier; and am there- 

 fore compelled to conclude that it is now for the first time 

 described : a circumstance the less to be wondered at, when 

 we recollect that even in the limited waters of the Mediter- 

 ranean, and so near a region also as Madeira, several fishes 

 have been recorded of which only a single specimen has 

 been obtained. The fish here described has been deposited 

 with the next preceding, in the British Museum. 



BOGUE. Boops primus, Ray's Synopsis, p. 135. Box 

 vulgaris, Cuvier; but in his plate Boops V. Spare bogue, 

 Risso, Ichthyologic, p. 242. 



A specimen of this fish, the first recorded as taken in 

 Britain, was caught in a ground sean at St. Mawes, in the 

 early part of October, 1842 ; and coming into the possession 

 of Alfred Fox, Esq., was kindly presented to the Museum 

 at Truro. It is abundant in the Mediterranean; but has 

 rarely been taken out of it. 



