PLATE XXXVIII. 
Mr. Pennant acquaints us, that he saw several of this species taken 
on our sandy coasts, in the summer of the year 1775, in the shrimp 
nets : he does not cettainly mean by this to say, that tliey frequent 
the sandy shores of our island during the summer months only, as 
some have imagined; or if he does, the idea is unfounded. We have 
received them from various parts of the sea coasts in all seasons of the 
year, where they seem to be not less common during the winter, than 
the summer months. In the wide sweep of sands, called Traeth 
Levan, that extends along the south side of Beaumaris bay, opposite 
the island of Anglesea ; upon the shores of the Severn, and Indeed on 
many other of our sandy coasts, this fish has attracte4 our remark 
lurking or swimming with the shrimps, in the sliallow pools of 
water left by the sea at ebb-tide. The same species also is not 
unfrequently taken with the shoals of sprats captured at a littlq 
distance from the shore. 
The spotted Goby is a pretty, delicate little creature, whose usual 
length very rarely exceeds two inches, or two inches and a half ; 
three inches or rather better is the length of that from whence our 
figure is taken, but that is of an uncommon size, Pallas, who 
describes this species, has defined its character with much precision ; 
he speaks especially of the obsolete streaks across the rays of the 
dorsal fins, and tail, which are sufiiciently distinct, except when the 
fins happen to be expanded, at which time they indeed appear as 
unconnected dots : the same may be said also of those across the anal 
fin, which he does not notice. These dots or streaks, are pniformly 
constant on all the specimens of the fish that have fallen under our 
observation, varying a trifle only in their tint of colour.— In the first 
dorsal fin are six rays, in the second are eleven ; the pectoral fin has 
tw'enty, the ventral nineteen, anal eleven, caudal sixteen. 
