B. Galerita, Mont, in Wern. Mem. vol. 1. p. 98. pl. 5. f. 2. Alauda cristata sive Galerita, Will. Hist. Pise. p. 134. B. Montagui, Flem. Brit. An. p. 206. Diminutive Blenny, Penn. Brit. Zool. (Edit. 1812). vol. iii. p.277. Montagus Blenny, Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. 1. p. 219.

Length

From one and a half to two and a half inches. Mont.

Description

"Body rather more slender than the Smooth Blenny: head much sloped; eyes high up, approximating, gilded; the upper lip furnished with a bony plate that projects at the angles of the mouth into a thin lamina that turns downwards, the ends of which are orange-coloured: on the top of the head, between the eyes, a transverse, fleshy, fimbriated membrane; the fimbria? of a purplish brown colour, tipped with white: nostrils furnished with a minute bifid appendage: behind the crest several minute, erect, filiform appendicular, between that and the dorsal fin, placed longitudinally: lateral line considerably curved near the head: pectorals large and ovate, of twelve rays, reaching as far as the vent: ventrals, two unconnected rays: dorsal extending from the head to the tail, of thirty rays, and appearing like two distinct fins, by reason of the slope to the thirteenth ray, which is not above half the length of the anterior ones, and the sudden elongation of the fourteenth ray; this fin is very broad, and in one specimen there was an ovate black spot between the first and second ray, and another obscure one between the next rays, but this is not a constant character: anal fin equally broad, and extending from the vent to the tail, consisting of eighteen rays usually margined with black, and tipped with white: caudal slightly rounded, composed of fourteen rays.

D. 30; A. 18; C. 14; P. 12; V. 2.

The colour above generally olive-green spotted with pale blue shaded to white; the belly white, and the pectoral fins spotted with orange." Mont. Montagu observes that this species is occasionally taken, with the B. Gattorugine and B. Pholis, among the rocks on the south coast of Devon, in the pools left by the receding tide. Several specimens seem to have been noticed by him. It has also occurred to Mr. Couch in Cornwall; but none of our other naturalists appear to have met with it. I see no reason for supposing it distinct from the Alauda cristata of Willughby, the Galerita of Rondeletius, although not the same as the B. Galerita of Linnaeus, who (as Mr. Yarrell has pointed out) has confounded this species with that which has been since termed by Cuvier B. palmicornis. Should the contrary hereafter appear, it will then be proper to exchange the name of Galerita for that of Montagui, first adopted by Fleming.

*** Head without appendages.