168 Notice of the Lutjanus rupestris. 
ly belonged to the Labrus maculalus, Yarrell, (Ballan Wrasse,) but 
three specimens of a different kind were fortunately preserved, two 
of which, picked up in Berwick Bay, were secured by Dr Johnston, 
the third found near Barncleugh, was sent to me, a day or two after 
the event which cast them on shore. Upon consulting different ichthyo- 
logical writers, these fish appear to be identical with Jago's Gold- 
sinny, as figured and described in Ray's Synopsis Av. et Pise. 
App. p. 163, fig. 3, where the rude engraving accurately expresses 
the specific markings of the species ; and with Bloch's Lutjanus ru- 
pestris, whose detailed description and figure also agree in every re- 
spect with the specimens in question. It does not appear, however, 
to be the Goldsinny of Pennant and subsequent writers, who under 
that name have figured and described a different species. This error 
seems to have originated with Pennant, who having never seen or 
examined the true Goldsinny of Jago, has incorporated in his slight 
notice of that fish the description of another species, to which his fi- 
gure refers. Bloch seems to have entertained this opinion, for al- 
though he has quoted Pennant's Goldsinny as a synonym of his Lutj. 
rupestris, supposing it to refer to Jago's fish, he afterwards, in the 
last paragraph of his description, remarks, that the fish described 
and figured by Pennant could scarcely be the same as the Goldsinny 
of Jago, or his Lut. rupestris, as it differed from it in figure, pecu- 
liar markings, and in the number of the hard rays of the dorsal fin. 
The true Goldsinny seems to have escaped the notice of subsequent 
writers, as the figures and descriptions we possess are all referable 
to the other species, distinguished by a black or dark spot at the 
base of the caudal fin, but always situated upon or rather below the 
lateral line, and not upon the upper edge of the base of the tail, as 
in the true Goldsinny of Jago ; it also wants the black patch upon the 
anterior portion or rays of the dorsal fin ; both of .which specific cha- 
racters are accurately displayed in Bloch's figure, as well as in the 
less finished engraving in Ray's Synopsis. 
Mr Yarrell, to whom a specimen has been submitted, considers it as 
distinct from any of the species described in his beautiful work on the 
British fishes, though bethinks, and we agree with him, that the small 
figure constituting the vignette to page 301, is perhaps referable to it 
rather than to the Scale-rayed Wrasse, the young of which it was sup- 
posed to be by M. Couch, but to which it bears very little resemblance. 
In that figure, taken from a specimen about three inches in length, 
the black spot at the upper part of the base of the caudal fin is ex- 
pressed, but no indication of the other at the anterior part of the dor- 
sal fin : in shape it agrees pretty well with my specimen. With 
