﻿THE 
  VERTEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  seems 
  evident 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  but 
  one 
  species 
  of 
  Stickleback 
  

   (apart 
  from 
  the 
  fifteen 
  - 
  spined 
  one), 
  which 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  

   immense 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  its 
  lateral 
  plates, 
  and 
  

   that 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  living 
  in 
  sea, 
  brakish, 
  or 
  fresh 
  waters. 
  

   These 
  variations, 
  however, 
  do 
  not 
  seem 
  sufficient 
  to 
  warrant 
  

   the 
  adoption 
  of 
  specific 
  or 
  even 
  variety 
  names. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  subject 
  to 
  a 
  disease 
  similar, 
  if 
  not 
  identical, 
  

   to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  salmon. 
  

  

  Gasterosteus 
  spinachia, 
  Linn. 
  Fifteen-spined 
  Stickleback. 
  

  

  Pretty 
  common 
  all 
  along 
  our 
  coast, 
  where 
  its 
  nest 
  may 
  

   be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  quiet 
  pools. 
  

  

  Family 
  LABRIDiE, 
  Cuvier. 
  

  

  Genus 
  LABRUS, 
  Artedi. 
  

  

  Labrus 
  maculatus, 
  Bl. 
  Ballan 
  Wrasse. 
  Sea 
  Swine. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  Ballan 
  Wrasse 
  is 
  a 
  rare 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  Firth 
  of 
  Forth." 
  

   (Parnell.) 
  

  

  Under 
  the 
  names 
  "Labrus 
  tinea. 
  Wrasse, 
  vulgarly 
  called 
  

   Sea 
  Swine," 
  this 
  fish 
  is 
  spoken 
  of 
  by 
  Arbuthnot, 
  in 
  his 
  list 
  of 
  

   Peterhead 
  fishes, 
  as 
  " 
  the 
  most 
  beautiful 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  finny 
  tribe 
  

   which 
  inhabit 
  our 
  shores." 
  

  

  " 
  Pretty 
  frequent 
  during 
  summer." 
  (Edward.) 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  recorded 
  from 
  various 
  places 
  along 
  

   the 
  Moray 
  Firth. 
  It 
  is 
  occasionally 
  brought 
  into 
  Aberdeen 
  

   both 
  by' 
  line 
  and 
  trawl. 
  

  

  Labrus 
  mixtus, 
  Linn. 
  Blue-striped 
  Wrasse. 
  

  

  " 
  Rare. 
  A 
  very 
  pretty 
  specimen 
  was 
  taken 
  off 
  Macduff." 
  

   (Edward.) 
  Under 
  the 
  name 
  L. 
  trimaculatus, 
  P. 
  Neill, 
  in 
  his 
  

   list 
  of 
  fishes 
  for 
  the 
  Firth 
  of 
  Forth 
  (Memoirs 
  of 
  Wern. 
  Nat. 
  

   Hist. 
  Soc, 
  vol. 
  i., 
  p. 
  538), 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Several 
  of 
  this 
  elegant 
  species 
  

   were 
  taken 
  every 
  summer 
  in 
  the 
  Firth 
  of 
  Forth." 
  

  

  Parnell 
  remarks 
  : 
  " 
  The 
  Wrasses 
  greatly 
  resemble 
  each 
  

   other 
  in 
  their 
  external 
  form, 
  and, 
  their 
  colours 
  being 
  liable 
  to 
  

   great 
  variation, 
  have 
  created 
  much 
  confusion 
  in 
  the 
  identifi- 
  

   cation 
  of 
  species." 
  

  

  Several 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  brought 
  into 
  

   Aberdeen 
  by 
  trawl-fishers. 
  

  

  