WRASSES. 
421 
smaller, from which they conclude that the large fish assume the dominion of a 
district, and keep the younger at a distance.” The gold sinny (Crenilabrus 
raeiops) is a British example of a second genus, distinguished by the serrated edge 
of the preopercular. Another well-known member of the family is the black-fish 
(Tautoga onitis), of the Atlantic coast of North America, so named on account of 
its blackish brown colour, and the sole representative of a genus characterised by 
the naked opercular, the rudimental scales on the cheek, and the double row of 
teeth in the jaws. 
Parrot-Wrasses. 
Since their Mediterranean representative (Scavus cvetensis') was 
a fish held in high estimation among the ancients, brief mention must 
be made of the parrot-wrasses, of which the other species are inhabitants of the 
tropical parts of the Atlantic, these fishes are easily recognised by their sharp 
silvery viviparous wrasse (f nat. size). 
beak, caused by the coalescence of the teeth; and also by the lower jaw projecting 
in front of the upper. Of the splendidly coloured Mediterranean species Dr. 
Gunther writes that “ it was most plentiful and of the best quality in the 
Carpathian Sea, between Crete and Asia Minor, but was not unknown, even in 
early times, on the Italian coasts, though Columella says it seldom passed beyond 
Sicily in his day. But in the reign of Claudius, according to Pliny, Optalus 
Elipentius brought it from the Troad, and introduced it into the sea between 
Ostium and Campania. For five years all that were caught in the nets were 
thrown into the sea again, and from that time it was an abundant fish in that 
locality. In the time of Pliny it was considered to be the first of fishes; and the 
expense incurred by Elipentius was justified, in the opinion of the Koman 
gourmands, by the extreme delicacy of the flesh.” This fish feeds on seaweed; 
and the mastication required to reduce this to a pulp probably gave rise to the old 
idea that it was a ruminant. 
Viviparous For the want of a better one, the members of the small family 
wrasses. Ditrematidce may be termed, on acccount of their peculiar repro- 
