• 21 3 * the lonated gilt- head. 
the mouth is happily 'adapted for this purpofe ; for they 
are all furniflied with flat back teeth, refembling the 
grinders of quadrupeds, and fulfilling the fame office. 
Befides thefe teeth, and fmall lhavp ones on the lore part 
of the jaw, the Inner part of the mouth is lined with cer- 
tain hard bones, which affift in the arduous work of 
grinding and maflicating their hard food *. 
They are a coarfe fiili, and in modern times held in no 
great efteem, though the caprice of the ancient Romans 
fet a high value upon fuch as were fed with the oyftcts 
of the I.ucrine lake, perhaps for no other reafon than 
becaufe they were faftiictuable eating at a certain period 
They feem, from Martial's account, to have thought 
meanly of thel'e fifli in general f . 
The lunulated gilt-head grows frequently to the weigh 1 
of ten pounds: The form of the body is deep, refembling 
that of a bream ; the back is lliarp, and of a dulky green > 
between the eyes is a femilpoar gold-coloured fpot ; tl> e 
fides are of file fame hue, but tinged with brown •, at the 
farther angle of the coverts of the gills, there is t l< ' 
quently a black fpot, below it fometimes a purple one P 
In this fpecies the teeth are covered with lips ; and t ,H 
back teeth are not fo flat a3 in fome others of the genO s ’ 
There is but a lingle dorfal fin, which itretches a con- 
flderable way along the back, and has twenty four ray s ’ 
the firft eleven fpinous, and the reft cartilaginous : Th? 
three former rays of the ventral fin are alfo fpinous, 30 
* Brit. Zoolog}'. 
Non omnis laudem pretiumque meretur, 
Sod cui folus erit concha Lucriiu cibus. Lib. xiii. Eg. $)©• 
1 Willongh. page 307. 
