OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



39 



Cyttits, and of which but one form, the well-known John 

 Dory {Zeus faber), No. 52, is an inhabitant of British 

 waters. Its popular name is apparently a corruption of 

 the French "Jaune Doree," significant of its typical hue 

 of golden-yellow. The large, dark circular spot, with a 

 surrounding lighter annulus developed immediately behind 

 the pectoral fin, gave rise in earlier days to the tradi- 

 tion that this fish represented the species from which St. 

 Peter obtained the tribute-money, the spot on each side 



FIG. 9. — JOHN DORY [Zeus faber). 



being regarded as inherited marks left by the Apostle's 

 finger and thumb when capturing the fish. Unfortunately 

 for the tradition the Dory is not an inhabitant of Lake 

 Gennesaret whence the fish was taken, while a like distinc- 

 tive mark is common to numerous marine and freshwater 

 species. The high reputation enjoyed by the Dory as a 

 table delicacy will be found duly chronicled in the hand- 

 books treating of fish as food. The habits of the species 

 as observed by the writer, of several examples successfully 

 introduced into the tanks of the Brighton Aquarium, are 



