AN ANNOTATED LIST OF CORNISH FISHES. 419 



west, one of its favourite haunts is near Lamorna, but it is 

 usually taken in some quantity in many other districts where 

 congenial feeding-grounds occur. At St. Ives it is taken in 

 seines, but is not plentiful. Specimens are occasionally taken 

 inshore during the winter. One, for example, was captured 

 near St. Anthony early in January, 1902, and another near 

 Portscatho in December, 1903. It is doubtful if the Plain 

 Mullet (M. barbatus, L., type) has ever been identified with 

 certainty in the county. A careful watch has been kept for its 

 occurrence for the past eight years, but without success. 



The Wrasses are a perplexing group, because of their re- 

 markable fin and colour variation, and for the past five years 

 they have in consequence received considerable attention at 

 Truro. Their strong hard flesh makes them very useful bait, 

 especially for Lobster-pots. The Ballan Wrasse (Labrns macu- 

 latus, L.) is very common on rocky, weed-covered shores all along 

 the south and west, and in patches along the north coast. The 

 most abundant forms are of a warm brownish-yellow or greenish - 

 brown colour, with a bright blue or nearly white centre on every 

 scale of the head and body. Bluish forms, too, are not un- 

 common. The variety lineatus, Don., green with narrow longitu- 

 dinal bands of yellow, is common at Mevagissey, at Gyllyngvase, 

 Falmouth, between the Manacles and Coverack, and on the 

 north coast near Strace Pool, at the head of Watergate Bay, and 

 probably occurs at intervals all along the coast. At Gyllyngvase 

 yellow bands are occasionally replaced by smears of dull brown 

 passing gradually into the green, and one has been obtained 

 there of a dull bottle-green, with whitish spots. Forms in 

 various shades of green, from pale sage to brightest emerald, 

 sometimes with white body spots, but generally without them, 

 have been brought in from time to time, usually from the Zostera 

 beds at Falmouth and Helford. On the 13th of July, 1907, a 

 fine specimen, over four pounds in weight, of greenish umber- 

 brown with a broad orange band on both sides and a pale spot 

 on each scale, was sent in from Cadgwith. A pale yellow form 

 was common near the Gurnard's Head in September, 1906. 

 P»,ed forms are usually scarce, but have been obtained in various 

 shades, from pale carmine to deep mahogany ; the former at 

 Polperro and Scilly, the latter once at Cadgwith. Holt, however, 



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