112 
ACANTHOPTERY GII . 
had come under my inspection in and previous to the year 1839, have 
been already published by me : — 
“ Black Goby, Linn. ? Of the black goby , as generally recognised by British 
authors, a specimen taken at Youghal has been submitted to me by Dr. Ball. 
In a paper read before the Linneean Society last year, I showed that the Gob. 
niger of Pennant and the fish to which Donovan applies the same name, are 
two distinct species. To the latter Mr. Yarrell has since given the name of 
Gobius bipunctatus P — W. T. in Proc. of the Zool. Society , 1835, p. 80. 
“ Gobius Britannicus. British Black Goby. 
When at Galway Bay, on the western coast of Ireland, accompanied by 
Dr. Ball, in June, 1834, 1 captured a species of goby, whose thicker and 
more clumsy form at once led me to consider it different from a G. 
niger taken at Youghal, with which I had been favoured by that gentle- 
man. On a recent examination it proved identical with the G. niger 
of Cuvier and Valenciennes, whilst the latter corresponded with the G. 
niger of Montagu (Yarrell’s Brit. Fish. vol. i. p. 252) and Jenyns. This 
species is considered by Cuv. and Val., but without recourse being had 
to a comparison of specimens, to be the same as theirs ; but the two in- 
dividuals under consideration, unquestionably distinct, agree so well with 
the detailed descriptions of those just quoted under the same name, as to 
leave not a doubt upon my mind as to the propriety of separating them. 
Amongst other differential characters, they present the following : — ■ 
G. niger, Mont. 
(from Youghal). 
Jaws, the lower one the longer. 
Teeth, several irregular rows in 
both jaws, those of the outer row 
not very much larger than the 
others, and, like them, straight 
and truncated at the summit. 
Sulcus, extending from the head to 
D. fin. 
Papillae,* so numerous on the head 
as to give it the appearance of 
being delicately carved all over. 
D. 6 — 14 ; P. 18]; V. l-5th each; A. 
12 ; C. 15, and some short. 
G . niger, Cuv. and Val. 
(from Galway). 
Jaws, equal. 
Teeth, outer row very much the 
largest, and curving inwards. 
Sulcus, wanting. 
Papillae, less numerous by half. 
D. 6—16 ; P. 20—21 ; V. 5 ; A. 13 ; 
C. 14. 
Though of British authors the G. niger of Montagu and Jenyns only 
is quoted with certainty, the species described as such by Pennant and 
Yarrell appears to be the same, the exceptions being that two rows only 
of teeth are attributed to it by the former, and 17 rays are described by 
the latter as contained in the second D. fin. The G. niger of Donovan 
and Fleming is the G. Ruthensparii ( G . bipunctatus, Yarr.) of Eu- 
phrasen. 
Bloch’s G. niger does not agree with either species here treated of ; .as, 
like Pennant’s, it is stated to have but two rows of teeth. It differs, more 
especially from that of British authors as now restricted, in the jaws being 
of equal length, the teeth pointed, and having 16 rays in the 2nd D. fin ; 
and from that of Cuv. and Val. in the shortness of the P. fin, a character 
represented both in his figure and description. The G. niger of Bisso hav- 
* With respect to these resembling the G. geniporus, as described by Cuv. 
and Val., t. xii. p. 32, but very different in other characters. 
