ENGLISH FISHES. 



4£9 



-t^Uent work, figured a fish so very nearly allied 

 in every appearance, admitting, as he did, that 

 the ocellated spots were accidental. That these 

 two fishes are varieties of the same species, there 

 is no doubt; for I have noticed several varieties, 

 some of which, have had the pectoral spots so 

 faint, as scarcely definable ; and it has always ap- 

 peared in small specimens, and the spots seem to 

 be lost as they encrease to a considerable size. 



The principal varieties I have noticed, are, 1^^, 

 with a white circle round a large dark spot ; 2^/, 

 with a black spot within a white circle, the whole 

 surrounded by five equidistant dark spots, similar 

 to the figure in the British Fishes, except that the 

 white speck in the middle was wanting. 



Both sexes of the Maculata have sharp teeth, 

 and most commonly three rows of spines on the 

 tail, the middle row running partly along the 

 back ; and after an intermediate space, a few 

 more spines are observable in the same line near 

 the head : on each side of the dorsal row, is a 

 single spine, near the middle of the back : at the 

 corners of each eye, are usually two spines, but 

 very rarely a continuation of spines either over 

 the eye, or along the whole of the back. In 

 smaller specimens, there is frequently only one 

 row of spines along the ridge of the tail ; in 

 others, an addition of three or four spines on each 

 side th€ base, the commencement of the lateral 

 rows. The four series of hooked spines on the 



