THE GILTHEAD, CORKWING, OR GIBBOUS WRASSE. 127 
taken at Youghal by Dr. Ball, and I subsequently made the following 
communications to the Zoological Society, and to the Magazine of Zoology 
and Botany 
“ Crenilabrus Tinea, Risso. Cren. Cornubicus , Risso. Cren. gibbus, Flem 
In the autumn of 1835 an attentive examination of specimens of the C. Tinea 
and C. Corntibicus , of all sizes, and in a recent state, satisfied me of their iden- 
tity. The depth of C. Tinea in proportion to its length being found to vary con- 
siderably, though not to the extent described in the Gibbus Wrasse of Pennant, 
together with the general accordance of other characters, disposed me at the 
same time to believe that the C. gibbus is but an accidental variety of it.” — 
Zool. Proc., 1837. 
“ Crenilabrus Tinca and C. Cornubicus of Authors. 
During the month of September, 1835, which I spent at Bangor, on 
the coast of Down, I embraced the opportunity of examining these 
species in a recent state, as on every calm day they were in about equal 
numbers caught from the rocks by lads, who provided me with them. 
This examination proved to my satisfaction that the C. Tinca and O. 
Cornubicus are not distinct. The colour was as commonly described, in 
so far that the smaller specimens,* up to the length of six inches, — but 
not all under this size, — had on the body at the base of the caudal fin the 
black spot of C. Cornubicus, and the larger ( C. Tinca ) wanted it ; also, in 
the former being generally rather less brilliant in colour. Some specimens 
of an intermediate size, however, had the above-named spot of an obscure 
brown, suggesting that this spot, originally black, may change gradually 
to this colour, and afterwards become obliterated — an effect analogous to 
which, but to a much greater extent, takes place, according to Agassiz, in 
certain species of the Salmonidce. The dorsal fin was similar in all, the 
spinous portion being marked alternately with longitudinal lines of 
green and red, and the soft portion red, with roundish green spots. In 
no other marking or distribution of colours was there any difference be- 
tween them. 
In not one of the many characters which come under the head of ‘ form ’ 
was there any difference ; the proportion of depth to length, denticula- 
tions of pre-opercle and teeth, t being similar in both. In these characters 
Mr. Jenyns considers the C. Tinca and C. Cornubicus differ (Man. Brit. 
Vert. p. 398), and from his great accuracy there cannot be a doubt that 
they did so in the specimens he examined ; but it was, I presume, merely 
individual, as the differential characters he has assigned' to each have 
occurred to me. in the other. 
Dr. Fleming has brought these species together (Brit. Anim. p. 208) ; 
but we are not informed whether it was their general similarity, or an 
actual examination of specimens, that led him to this conclusion. 
* In the collection of Dr. Ball, of Dublin, there are smaller specimens than 
any obtained at Bangor. Ten of these which I examined, and of which several 
were about inch long, had the black spot conspicuous. The largest indivi- 
dual I have seen with this marking is 8| inches in length. It was procured on 
the northern coast of Ireland in the course of the Ordnance Survey. 
f In two Bangor specimens of C. Cornubicus there are fourteen teeth in the 
lower jaw, a greater number than which is not possessed by any C. Tinca I ex- 
amined with them. The second row of teeth in the upper jaw is most apparent 
in the larger individuals, or, in other words, in C. Tinca. 
