THE COOK WRASSE. 
125 
empty, but the oesophagus contained also a large piece of the same mol- 
lusk. One side of the gill membrane was torn out in both specimens, 
probably in extricating the hook. 
The following was a female fish, the ova extremely minute : — 
July 9, 1838. — I received in a recent state, from C. G. M. Skinner, 
Esq., a specimen of L. variegatus , which was taken in a lobster basket on 
the 7th inst., at Portmuck, Island Magee, and was quite unknown to 
those who saw it there. 
Its length is 10 inches ; Br. 5 ; D. 17 + 13 ; A. 3 + 11 ; C. 15 (well- 
defined rays) ; P. 15 ; Y. 1 5. 
In colour this specimen is extremely beautiful, and much less gaudy 
than others I have seen. The entire head and 2-3rds of the upper por- 
tion of the sides has bronze of different shades for a ground colour, and 
throughout this the beautiful azure markings as in form, though in colour 
faintly represented in Donovan’s fig. 21 ; the lowest l-3rd of the sides to 
the Y. profile is rose red, of different shades (the blue markings are more 
broken and varied than in Donovan’s fig., not exhibiting any formality 
as in his) ; the D. fin is marked and coloured as by Donovan ; but the 
colours all very much richer. The C. fin is rich dark red, terminated by 
azure, which is very narrow in the centre, but both above and below ex- 
tending to a narrow point near to the base of the outer rays. Several 
azure spots upon the red centre of the fin (no formal band as in Donovan 
ending this fin). P. fins uniformly violet red (no formal band as in Do- 
novan’s). V. fins pale orange red, tipped with azure ; A. fin of a much 
deeper red than the rose-coloured body at its base, and terminated by 
azure, which becomes pale at the extreme margin. 
Irides dull silver, variegated with blue, orange, and yellow. 
January 2, 1845. — I bought a fresh specimen taken at Larna; length, 
lffi- inches. It is a most brilliant specimen, nearly the anterior half being 
golden olive, on which blue of the most beautiful colour appears. Im- 
mediately behind the gill-covers are what Pennant might have called four 
parallel lines of greenish or (rather) golden olive ; but only the two upper 
I should call lines with one line of blue, it being broken instead of linear, 
except where it first appears, the blue taking other forms. 
A similar marking of head to that described in L. trimaculatus taken 
with it is presented, i. e. a blue bar across top of head between eyes, and 
a horse-shoe formed, or rather in this specimen a belt of lovely blue be- 
fore this across snout, and reaching down below the line of lower point 
of eye, which it does not do in L. trimaculatus . Its back (hinder) is bril- 
liant orange red, belly intense gamboge yellow, the adjacent fins partak- 
ing respectively of these colours. 
Irides brilliant red and deep blue, hinder half of caudal fin brilliant 
blue, but darker than the most beautiful blue on the D. P. and A. fins ; 
all the shades of blue in this fish are extremely beautiful. 
Yarrell’s description is good, but “ striped ” with blue indicated a for- 
mality in the dispositions of this colour not presented in the present spe- 
cimen. It is broken into somewhat triangular sections, rather of trian- 
gular forms, excepting one or two stripes. 
May, 1847. — Labrus variegatus (taken with Labrus trimaculatus at 
the Wheelan’s, near Larne) was the largest I have seen. It measured 
13 inches in length; body, exclusive of fins, 3 inches deep, colours ex- 
tremely beautiful. 
A Labrus, agreeing quite as well with L. vetula, described by Jenyns 
and Yarrell, as with L. variegatus, described by the same authors, was 
