WRASSES. 
189 
None of our native fishes can compete with the 
I Lahri for richness and variety of colour ; though 
i in elegance of form and changeable opaline splen- 
1 dour, the Mackerel is still their superior. Orange 
j and blue of great brilliancy are the prevalent 
! colours, generally arranged in stripes, but inter- 
j changed with green, lilac, and other colours. 
I The rich tints of blue are considered to be in 
i some measure dependent on the health and high 
? condition of the fish; and are liable to vanish 
i with remarkable rapidity when the body is im- 
mersed in spirits. But the bright colours may 
i be retained, as it seems, by a different mode of 
i preservation; for Donovan speaks of specimens 
I of the rare and lovely Labrus lineatus^ in his pos- 
1 session, in which the natural colours were ad- 
I mirably well retained. The skin in this case had 
been removed, and divested of the flesh with 
j great care, while perfectly fresh, and then well 
prepared. 
BALL AN WRASSE. 
The largest species we have on our shores is 
the Ballan Wrasse [Labrus maculatus, Bloch), 
of which the rare little fish just mentioned is. 
