Class IV. GILT-HEAD. H^t 



They are but a coarfe fifh ; nor did the Ro- 

 mans hold them in any efteem, except they had fed 

 on the i^m;?^ oyfler. 



JVon ornnis laudem pretiumque Aurata fneretur^ 

 Sed cui/olus erit concha Lucrina cibus *. 



>Io praife, no price a Gilt-head e'er wjll takcj 

 Unfed with oyllers of the Lucrine lake. 



They grow to the weight of ten pounds: the 3[)escf4I'. 

 form of the body is deep, not unlike that of a 

 bream : the back is very fharp, and of a dufky 

 green color : the irides of a filvery hue : between 

 the eyes is a femilunar gold colored fpot, the horns 

 of which point towards the head : on the upper 

 part of the gills is a black fpot^ beneath that a- 

 nother of purple. 



The dorfal fin extends almofl the whole length 

 of the back, and confifts of twenty-four rays, the 

 eleven firft fpiny, the others fofc : the pe6i:oral fins 

 confift of feventeen foft rays ; the ventral of fix 

 rays, the firfl of which is very ftrong and fpiny i 

 the anal fin of fourteen ; the three firft fpiny. 



The tail is much forked. 



It takes its name from its predominant color*, QoLot? 

 that of the forehead and fides being as if giltj but 

 the laft is tinged with brown. 



* Mfirtial, Lib, XIII. Ep. 90. 



R Pagurf 



