2 J2 The Hijlory of ANIMALS. 
S P A R I. 
Divifion the Firfi . 
Thofie which have the teeth in the jaws Jloarp and fiubcylindric 
Sparus dorfo acutijfimo , arcuata aurea inter oculos. 
The Jharp-backed Sparus , with a crooked ., gold-coloured dSfU 
line between the eyes. 
r j'HI S is a very beautiful fifh: the head is large, and the body is fomewhat com- 
JL prefled: the eyes are large; their iris is whitilli, but fometimes tinged with red- 
difh or yellowifh, and the pupil is black : the mouth is large, and the teeth in front are 
tall, {lender, rounded, and acute: the lips fall over them, and cover them compleat- 
ly, when the mouth is fhut; the noftrils have each a double aperture, and {land fome¬ 
what neater the eyes than the extremity of the head, and in the middle, between the 
eyes, there runs a beautiful crooked, gold-coloured line, which makes the top of the 
head look as if gilt : the back is elevated into a very {harp ridge ; the belly alfo is 
ridged : there is but one fin on the back, and that has twenty-four rays ; the pedoral 
fins have feventeen rays each, and the ventral fins have each fix: the pinna ani has 
fourteen rays, and the tail is forked : the ground colour of the body is an olive brown, 
but it is elegantly variegated with a number of different colours. 
This fpecies is frequent in the Mediterranean, and in many other places; the 
antients were very well acquainted with it. Ariflotle calls it Xpv<ro<pop&. iElian 
and Oppian alfo give it the fame name; Varro and Ovid call it, from the Greeks, 
Chfyfophorus j all the other Latin writers, Aurata: the Italians call it Aurata; the 
Venetians, Ora ; the Spaniards the Dorada; we call it the Gilt Head, the Golden 
Head, and the Gilt Poll. 
Sparus lineis utrinque luteis , longitudinalibus , parallellis , hide argefitea. 
The filver-eyed Sparus , with yellow, longitudinal , parallel lines. 
This is alfo a very beautiful fifh : the head is moderately large; the eyes are large, 
and their iris of a fine bright filvery hue ; the pupil is large, and of a deep blui-fh-black ; 
the mouth is large, and the teeth {harp, but there are no bony tubercles in it, but in 
their place only a few afperities or flat roughnefles: there is but one back fin, which is 
not very tall; the back is elevated, the belly is fomewhat flatted ; the fides are flefhy 
and prominent: the ground colour of the fifh is a yellowifh-brown, but it is elegantly 
varied with longitudinal lines of a gold yellow running parallel to one another. 
This is fometimes caught in the Mediterranean, but is not very common. Authors 
have, from the earlieft times, thought there was fome refemblance between the linea- 
tions of it s fides and thofe of the upper wings of the beetle-kind, and have thence 
given it it’s name. Ariflotle and Oppian call it ; Lilian, K i 
and the generality of the Latin writers, Cantharus; but Gaza and fome others, Sea- 
rabaeus. 
Sparus tot us rubens iride argent ea. 
The filvery-eyed, red Sparus , 
This is alfo a very beautiful filh : the head is moderately large ; the mouth is not very 
wide ; the teeth are fharp and rounded, and the lips flefhy ; they fall over them, and per¬ 
fectly cover them, when the mouth is fhut: the eyes are beautiful; their iris is of a 
fine filvery white, the pupil black; the body is moderately broad, in proportion to it’s 
length, and is throughout of a flrong and elegant red : there is but one fin on the back ; 
the pedoral fins are fhort and obtufe; the ventral fins are narrow, acute, and each 
furnifhed with fix rays: the pinna ani is long and low, and the tail is very forked. 
This is very frequent in the Mediterranean. Ariflotle, Oppian, and iElian call it 
; and Oppian, in fome parts of his work alfo, The Latin writers in 
i general 
