209 
MTJLLUS 
Head compressed, and sloping in front; body thick and solid, together 
with the cheeks covered with large scales, which are easily displaced. 
Jaws slightly furnished with teeth, or not at all. Two barhs at the 
origin of the throat. Two fins on the back, which are separate. First 
gill-cover having its border smooth. Thoracic fishes. 
SURMULLET. 
Mullus, 
Mttllus surmuletus, 
(( (t 
tS tt 
« (( 
Mulle surmulet, 
(( (t 
JoNSTON; Cap. 1, Art. 1, M. major, 
table 17, f. 6. 
WiLLOD&HBT; p. 285, tab. S. 7, f. 1. 
Linnius. Cuvier. Bloch, pi. 57. 
Donovan, pi. 12. Flemino; Br. An., p. 216. 
Jbsyns; Manual, p. ,S.37. 
Yakeell; British Fishes, vol. i, p. 30. 
Lacepede. Eisso. 
Gunther’s Cat. Br. Museum, vG. i, p. 301. 
The Surmullet is a common fish along the coast of the 
south and west of England, and is known in Ireland and 
Scotland, and even much farther north where such ground 
occurs as is fitted to its habits. But if a fish can be said 
to have its chief residence where it attains the largest size 
and liveliest colours, that favourite district is the west portion 
of the channel which divides England from France. It may 
be termed a fish of passage, so far as a change from the 
deeper water of the middle of the channel to its borders, 
according to the season, will allow of its being thus charac- 
terized ; for, while it is not unfrequently taken in a trawl 
net at a great depth in winter, — and on one occasion a trawl 
vessel of Plymouth at that season took so many fish, of which 
Surmullets formed by far the largest portion, as were sold for 
twenty pounds, — they do not come within the reach of the 
trammel or ground-sean until about the month of May; and, 
VOL. 1. 2 II 
