THE THICK-LIPPED GREY MULLET. 
103 
Chelo it is, however, far otherwise, as the contents of the stomachs I have ex- 
amined at various seasons, presented, from the minute size of the objects, many 
hundred-fold greater destruction of animal life than I have ever witnessed on a 
similar inspection of the food of any bird or fish. From a single stomach I 
have obtained what would fill a large-sized breakfast cup of the following 
species of bivalve and univalve mollusca (which had been taken alive) — My- 
tilus edulis, Modiola Papuana (of these very small individuals), Kellia rubra , 
Skenea depressa, Littorina return, Rissoa labiosa and R. parva, Serpulce 
and Miliolce. Of these mollusca, specimens of Rissoa labiosa , three lines in 
length, were the largest, and the Kellia rubra , from the smallest size to its 
maximum of little more than a line diameter, the most abundant. In the pro- 
fusion of specimens it affords, the stomach of one of these mullets is quite a 
store-house to a conchologist. In addition to these were various species of mi- 
nute Crustacea. The only inanimate matter that appeared, were fragments of 
Zostera marina and Confervce, which were probably taken into the stomach on 
account of the adhering mollusca. To this nutricious food may perhaps be at- 
tributed the gi'eat size this fish attains in Belfast Bay. 
“ In the Rbgne Animal (t. ii. p. 232, 2nd ed.), Pennant’s figure of the grey mul- 
let in his British Zoology is referred to as M. Capito, but in the Hist, des Poiss. 
of Cuv. and Val. (t. xi. p. 66) it is believed to represent M. Chelo. In this last 
work Donovan’s figure of the mullet (Brit. Fish. pi. 15) is considered a very 
good representation of M. Chelo. With this opinion I fully coincide, although 
Yarrell and Jenyns refer to both figures as M. Capito .* The descriptions of 
Pennant and Donovan throw no light upon the subject, nor are we informed 
whence the specimens were obtained that served for their illustrations. Pen- 
nant’s figure exhibits the longitudinal lines reaching about as far as they ge- 
nerally do in M. Chelo ; but Donovan, on the other hand, portrays them as ex- 
tending to the ventral profile ; in the more important characters, however, of the 
form of the operculum and mouth, his figure represents this species. I may 
add, that its greater than ordinary depth, which induced Mr. Yarrell to remark 
that the proportions of Donovan’s grey mullet approach ‘ more closely to those 
of M. curtus than to those of the common grey mullet of this country,’ (Brit. 
Fish. vol. i. p. 211,) seems not to me, from the great diversity of depth in dif- 
ferent individuals, to militate against its being the M. Chelo. 
“ The following is a description of a specimen examined on the 21st of July. 
Total length, *22 inches ; greatest depth, 5f in.; thickness, 3f in. ; weight 5 lbs. 
D. 4 — 1 | 8 ; A. 2 | 9 ; P. 17 ; Y. 1 | 5 ; C. 14. — Br. 6. In form it well agrees 
with the detailed description of Cuv. and Val., t. xi. p. 51, et seq . f The colour 
of the back is, as there described, of a fine steel blue ; thence it becomes gra- 
dually lighter towards the under surface, which is pure opaque white, glossed 
with silver ; a blackish line extends throughout the centre of the first ten rows 
of scales, ending with the row beneath the base of the P. fin, and giving to the 
fish its lineated appearance. Entire top of the head and upper lip greyish black ; 
sides of the head just behind the eyes deep gold colour ; lower part of the head 
or base of the opercula pure white ; irides purplish black ; outer base of P. fin, 
and the body above and below it, tinged with gold; remainder of the P., the D., 
C., and A. fins greyish black, the last becoming lighter posteriorly. Y. fins white, 
tinged with very pale flesh colour. 
“ This specimen accords with the description extracted by Mr. Yarrell from the 
Fauna Italica, with one exception — ‘ the rays of the spiny D. fin [are there 
stated to be] longer than half the depth of the body ’—(vol. i. p. 208). In this 
individual they are only ^ of its depth. In another specimen 20 inches long, the 
1st and 2nd D. rays are equal, and If inch long, the depth of the fish being 
about 5 inches. In an individual of 11 inches the 2nd D. ray is equal to one- 
* Mr. Yarrell has taken it for granted that the Irish mullet is of this species, 
vol. i. p. 202. 
f The scales generally agree in every particular with the description at p. 52, 
but some do not either in proportion or sculpture. 
