134 
AC AN THOPTER Y GII . 
specimen was found by Dr. Drummond. These are respectively 4f, 5, 
and 5§ inches in length, and those sent from Cornwall to Mr. Yarrell 
being about the same size, render it probable that they may be full 
grown. Their colour in spirits varies slightly, but the one which best 
retains its original markings may be described as having the sides of a 
deep salmon colour, with a dusky tinge ; upper part of head purple ; 
upper margin of eye and orbit blackish ; stripes of violet and orange al- 
ternating below the eye longitudinally to near the mouth, where they be- 
come vertical; belly silvery white ; some of the scales, including those 
on which the lateral line appears, tinged with a golden metallic lustre ; 
dorsal fin violet-blue at the base, with an orange stripe above ; anal fin 
violet-blue, striped with reddish orange; pectoral fin brownish orange, 
with a dark stripe at its outer base, as in C. Tinea ; ventral fin diaphanous, 
tinged with orange ; caudal fin dusky, towards the tip blackish. The fin- 
rays of these three specimens are : — 
D. 19 + 7 ; P. 14: Y. 1 + 5; A. 5 + 7 ; C. 13 P and some short= 
Br. 5. 
D. 19 + 6 ; P. 13 ; V. 1 + 5 ; A. 5 + 7 ; C. 13, and some short. 
D. 20 + 6 ;' P. 13 ; V. 1 + 5 ; A. 6 + 7 ; C. 15, and some short. 
In the number of spinous rays in the anal fin this species agrees with 
a British Crenilabrus, the “Scale-rayed Wrasse” of Couch (Mag. Nat. 
Hist., vol. v. pp. 18 and 742), w'hich, however, differs from it widely in 
the form and number of the teeth, in the number of dorsal fin-rays (21 
+ 8), in having processes of imbricated scales between the rays of the 
dorsal and anal fins, and, above all, in form, being “ very much elong- 
ated.” With the L. exoletus, which has a wide range over the European 
seas, it accords more nearly than with any other species I have seen de- 
scribed. The number of spinous rays in the anal fin is the same, but the 
L. exoletus, as described in detail by Bisso (Hist. Nat. l’Eur. Merid. t. iii. 
p. 329, ed. 1826), differs from it in the number of rays in the dorsal fin 
(20 + 9), and in having scales on its base, in the teeth (which are point- 
ed), and in having a large black spot on the caudal fin. Linnaeus, in his 
description of this fish ( Labrus exoletus, Syst. Nat. t. i. p. 479, ed. 13), 
gives about the same number of rays in the fins as the Irish specimens 
possess ; but the brevity of his description * precludes farther comparison, 
and at the same time it leaves u's in doubt whether his Labrus exoletus 
and the Crenilabrus microstoma may not be identical. 
[The foregoing observations were published by Mr. Thompson in the 
Magazine of Zool. and Bot., vol. ii. He had previously contributed to 
the Zool. Proc., 1837, a short notice of the specimen found by Dr. Drum- 
mond. — Ed.] 
Mr. M‘Calla wrote to me as follows, from Roundstone, 25th Septem- 
ber, 1840 
“ I have this day seen a specimen of Crenilabrus microstoma, about six 
inches long, taken here. I could not get it from the person, but as I 
have some boys engaged fishing for me I trust to secure specimens of it. 
I am positive as to the species, for I have your paper on this family and 
it is figured.” 
* “ Pinna dorsali ramentacea corpore lineis cseruleis, pinna ani spinis 5, D. 
19.25 ; P. 13 ; Y. 1.6 ; A. 5.13 ; C. 13.” 
