BRITISH FISHES.

LONDON
TIUVTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY,
:

Dorset Street, Fleet Street.

HISTORY

BRITISH FISHES
WILLIAM YARRELL,
ILLUSTRATED BY NEARLY

IN

V.P.Z.S. F.L.S.

400

WOODCUTS.

TWO VOLUMES.
VOL.

II.

LONDON:
JOHN VAN VOORST,

3,

PATERNOSTER ROW.

M.DCCC. XXXVI.

BRITISH FISHES.

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

SALMONID&.

THE SALMON.
SMOLT, young.
Salmo

salar,

,,

,,

LINN*US.

BLOCH,

pt.

i.

,,

pt.

iii.

,,

Generic Characters.
the

first

pi.

20, female.

pi.

PENN.
FLEM.

Salmon,

fins,

GRILSE, Jirst year.

98, male in autumn.

Brit. Zool. vol.

Brit.

An.

Head smooth

iii.

p.

382.

p. 179, sp. 40.

body covered with

scales

supported by rays, the second fleshy, without rays

two dorsal

teeth

on the

vomer, both palatine bones, and all the maxillary bones ; branchiostegous rays
varying in number, generally from ten to twelve, but sometimes unequal on the

two

sides of the

head of the same

THE SALMON

is

fish.

so well

known

cle of food, as well as for the

taken, that

it

is

it

strongly to

it

for its quality as

immense

requires no other claims to

our notice

an

and probably,

in

recommend
no country

* The
family of the Salmon and Trout.

VOL.

II.

arti-

quantities in which

SALMONID.E.

of the world, in proportion to

the fisheries so

are

its size,

much

extensive, or the value of so

importance, as in the

United Kingdom.

The

history of the

Salmon, and of the species of the

genus Salmo^ in this work, will extend to a considerable

length ; and some doubts existing as to the extent of their
identity with the species of the Salmonida generally which
are taken in the rivers or lakes of other countries of

Europe,
from the want of specimens with which to make actual
comparative examination, the account of the species here
inserted will be confined

what

known

is

Of the

of

them

more

particularly

to a detail

of

in this country only.

species existing in this country, the characters

specific distinctions admit of considerable detail

and

much

too

sufficiently

been placed upon colour, without resorting

to those external indications, founded on organic

structure,

which

reliance

has

may

certainty be

with greater

depended

upon.

In the

of the relative value of parts affording cha-

scale

racters for distinction,

the organs of digestion, respiration,

and motion are admitted by systematic authors to hold

high rank ; and in the hope to induce sportsmen to become
so

zoologists

to enable

far at least as

them

to determine

may meet with by a reference

those external characters which are the most important,

the various species they

the specific distinctions in the genus

to

the

by

teeth,

the form of the different

and the

The

referring

size,

parts

will

of the

form, and relative situation of the

Of

and a
the

side view

first

figure

of the

on the

head,

left

be

situation

illus-

of the

gill-covers,

fins.

outlines here introduced represent a front

the mouth,

Trout.

Salmo

number and

trated

to

of a

view of

common

hand, No. 1 marks

SALMON.

the situation of the row of teeth that are fixed on the cen-

bone of the roof of the mouth, called the vomer

tral

Nos.
bones

2, 2, refer to the teeth

;

on the right and

left palatine

and the row of teeth outside each palatine bone

on the upper jaw are those of the superior maxillary bones

No. 3, refers to the row of hooked teeth on each side
:

outside of which

of the tongue,

The Trout

jaw-bones.

complete

series of teeth

is

among

value of the arrangement,

prehension,

arises

rows, the four lines

when the mouth

surface,

lower

of the

are those

chosen as showing

the

most

the Salmonida; and the

as instruments

for

seizure

and

from the interposition of the different

of teeth on the lower surface alternating

is

closed with the five rows on the upper

those on the vomer shutting in between the two

rows on the tongue, &c.

The second figure represents, in outline, a side view of
the

head, of which

the operculum

No.

interoperculuni

No.

No.
3,

is

the preoperculum

the suboperculum

No.

5, the branchiostegous rays

No.
4,

2,

the

the four

SALMONID.E.

4
last parts

together forming the moveable gill-cover.

different fins are sufficiently indicated

referred
fish to

to,

which

The
the

description.

the

of the

appearance

The upper
;

it

too

is

rivers,

dark bluish black

white

the

is

well

fins

in

known

part

of the

sides

lighter

the small, soft, fleshy

fat fin,

much

head and back

;

the

is

belly silvery

dusky black ;
tinged more or

fins

the anal fin white

on the back, without rays, called

fin

or

the estuaries

to require

white on the outer side,

with dusky on the inner surface

the adipose,

Salmon during

adult

caught

the dorsal, pectc~al, and caudal

ventral

body of the

they are attached.

external

large

by being coupled, when

of the part of the

summer months, when

of our

less

name

with the

The

the second

dorsal

fin,

is

of the

same colour nearly as the part of the back from which

There are mostly a few dark spots dispersed
it emanates.
over that part of the body which is above the lateral line,
and the females usually exhibit a greater number of these
spots than the males.

These

colours,

differing

but

little,

are,

however, in a

great degree common at the same period of the year to

the three species that are the most numerous, as well as

the most valuable;

namely,

the true

Trout, and the Sea or Salmon Trout

Salmon, the Bullwhich are also fur-

ther distinguished from the other species of the

genus
seasonal

habit

Salmo

of moving

from the pure fresh

water to the brackish water, and thence to the sea, and

by

their

back to the fresh water again, at particular

periods of the
Further
year.
specific distinctions are therefore
;
necessary

and those that

will

be pointed out as existing constantly

in these species will, it

is

tify 'not only each of these,

genus, at

any age or season.

hoped, enable observers to iden-

but also the other species of the

SALMON.

The

of the

parts

above represents the form of the different

vignette

gill-cover

the middle one

on

that

the

the

when thus brought

left

hand

is

is

the

are

and

Sea or

of the

gill-cover

differences

that of the Salmon,

the gill-cover of the Bull-Trout,

is

right hand

Salmon Trout

named

the three species just

in

of which the figure on the

immediately apparent

into comparison.

In the Salmon, the posterior

edge of the gill-cover,

as shown in the left-hand figure, forms part of a circle ;
free

the lower margin of the suboperculum

obliquely upwards and backwards

of the suboperculum with

and

parallel with

is

is

line directed

the line of the

operculum

also

is

union

oblique,

the lower margin of the suboperculum

the interoperculum

the operculum

the

is

narrow vertically, and

its

considerably above the line of the junc-

tion between the suboperculum and the operculum.

teeth

curved

of the
:

Salmon

as stated in

five situations at

union with

are

the

stout,

short,

generic

the top of the

pointed,

characters,

mouth

that

and

The
re-

they occupy
is,

a line of

teeth on each side of the upper jaw, a line on each palatine

SALMON

D.E.

bone, with a few only on the vomer between the palatine

bones

the teeth

on the vomer seldom exceeding two in

number, sometimes only one, and that placed at the most

anterior part ; no other teeth extending along the vomer as
Salmon-Trout, and more particularly so in some

the

in

of those Trout that do not migrate.

The
the

inner surface of the pectoral

tail

very

much

rays growing up,

year,

fin

forked when young

the

much

is

tail

and by the fourth year

dusky:

the central caudal

less

forked the second

become nearly

is

it

in part

is

or quite

square at the end.

The

gill-covers of the other species

descriptions of the

be given in the account of the fish to which they

belong ; but it may be remarked here, that looking at

will

the form of the three gill-covers,

it

will

be obvious that a line

drawn from the front teeth of the upper jaw to the longest
backward projecting portion of the gill-cover, in either spe-

eye

occupy a different situation in respect to the

will

cies,

that the line will

in the first, that of the

fall

nearest the centre of the eye

Salmon, and farthest below

it

in the

second, that of the Bull-Trout.

As
add

further specific distinctions

according to Dr.

that,

in

the

Salmon,

Richardson, the csecal

may

appen-

dages are in number from sixty-three to sixty-eight; and

several

observers have stated the

number of

vertebrae to be

have repeatedly found to be correct.

sixty, which
Commencing, then, with the true Salmon, which ascend
I

the rivers, in the state as to colour before mentioned, sooner

or later in
that

some

the spring or
rivers

in

them coming

to

at

spawn

an

are

into

summer months,

much

earlier

breeding

than

condition

it

is

others,

observed
the

fish

and beginning

earlier period.

Rivers issuing from large lakes afford early Salmon, the

SALMON.
waters having been

swollen

rivers

the

in

by deposition

purified

on the other hand,

lakes

by melting snows in

spring months are later in their season of producing

the

and yield their supply when the lake

fish,

ginning

to

" The causes

influencing

fail.

are be-

rivers

this,"

says

Sir

William Jardine, to whom I am indebted for much valuable

information on the Salmonidte, as well as many specimens,
" seem
undecided
and where the time varies much
yet

in

the neighbouring

of less

The Northern

easy solution.

the

exception, are, however,

in

London markets

the

the same

rivers of

rivers,

earliest,

and going

spawn

"

latitude."

in the

Artedi says

fact well

known

farther

north,

still

the range of the season and of spawning

by the

they are
with little

district,

may

be influenced

"in Sweden

the Salmon

middle of summer."

been suggested that this variation in the season

on
the warmth of the waters ; and that those
depended
which arose from large lochs were all
rivers
Highland
It has

early,

owing to the great mass and warmer temperature

that the spawn there was sooner hatched.

of their sources,

There are two

rivers

Sutherlandshire which show this

in

late and early running under peculiar circumstances.

One,
the Oikel, borders the county, and springs from a small

alpine lake, perhaps about half a mile in breadth

the Shin,

is

a tributary to the Oikel, joins

miles from the mouth, but takes

its rise

it

the other,

about

five

from Loch Shin,

a large and deep extent of water, and connected to a chain

of other deep lochs.

entering the

Early in the spring,

common mouth

up the Shin, and return

as

it

all

the Salmon

diverge at the junction,

turn

were to their own and warmer

stream, while very few keep the main course of the Oikel
until a

much

later period."

Dr. Heysham, in his Catalogue of Cumberland Animals,

SALMONTD.E.

" The
Salmon,"

has supplied similar evidence.

observed,

"

is

they spawn

and

plentiful in

Eden

to

Although the

Peteril.

of which

rivers, in all

but they evidently prefer, during the winter

the

spring,

most of our

thm-

is

it

the Esk,

Esk and

waters into the same estuary,

the

and

the

Caldew,

the

or

Eden pour out

their

are only separated at the

mouths by a sharp point of land, yet there is scarcely an

instance of a new Salmon ever entering the former until

The fishermen
the middle of April or beginning of May.
account for this curious fact from the different temperature
of these two rivers

the water of the Eden,

they allege,

being considerably warmer than the water of the Esk ;

which is not altogether improbable, for the bed of the Esk
is

not only more stony and rocky than the Eden, but

likewise broader, and the stream

its

It

more shallow

is

consequently

waters must be somewhat colder in the winter season.

is

an undoubted

fact, that

snow water prevents the Salmon

it is probable this cirfrom running up even the Eden

cumstance may have considerable effect in preventing them
:

from entering the Esk

till

the beginning of summer,

when

the temperature of the two rivers will be nearly the same.

The

Peteril joins the

Carlisle

in the

yet

Eden

a little above,

these rivers the

up

and the Caldew

at

Salmon never run unless

spawning season, and even then in no great num-

bers."

The number

of fish obtained in the spring in a proper

compared with the quantity procured

state for food is small

as

the

summer

season, the
is

advances.

During the early part of the

Salmon appear

to ascend only as far as the river

influenced

by the

tide,

generally retiring with

stopped by

them, which

the

advancing with the flood, and

ebb,

if their

will

be explained hereafter.

be not

progress

any of the various means employed

It

is

to

catch

observed

SALMON.
female

ascend before

that

tlie

fish

of the year, called Grilse

fish

tlie

males

ascend earlier than those of more adult age.

advances, the Salmon ascend higher up
influence of the tide

and the young

they have spawned once,

till

As

the river

the season

beyond the

they are observed to be getting

full

of roe, and are more or less out of condition according to

Their progress forwards

their forward state as breeding fish.

is

not easily stopped

of arrows, and

they shoot up rapids with the velocity

make wonderful

efforts to

surmount cascades

and other impediments by leaping, frequently clearing an

elevation of eight or ten feet, and gaining the water above,
If they

pursue their course.

back into the stream,

escent, and thus

make new
These
all

it

recruit

is

and

in their attempt

fail

only to remain a short time quito enable them to

their strength

efforts.

feats

of the

Salmon

are

frequently watched with

Mr.

the curiosity such proceedings are likely to excite.

in the British Naturalist,

Mudie,

fall

describes from personal

observation some of the situations from which these extra-

Of

ordinary efforts can be witnessed.

the

fall

of Kilmorac,

" The
pool below

on the Beauly, in Invernesshire, it is said,

that fall is very large and as it is the head of the run in one
;

of the finest Salmon rivers in

miles

distant

from the

sea,

it

the North, and only a few

is

literally

thronged with

Salmon, which are continually attemping to pass the

but without success,

does not appear to exceed twelve or fourteen feet

if

fall,

as the limit of their perpendicular spring

:

at least,

they leap higher than that they are aimless and exhausted,

and the

force of the current dashes

they have recovered their energy.

selves

by

them down again before

They

often kill them-

the violence of their exertions to ascend

the rocks and are captured.

and

It
sometimes they
upon
is indeed said that one of the wonders which the Frasers of
fall

VOL.

II.

SALMONID.E.

10

manor, used to show their guests,

was a voluntarily cooked Salmon at the falls of Kilmorac.
For this purpose a kettle was placed upon the flat rock on

who

Lovat,

are lords of the

the south side of the

and kept

full

by the edge of the

close

fall,

There

and boiling.

is

water,

a considerable extent of

the rock where tents were erected, and the whole was under

There the company are

a canopy of overshadowing trees.
said to have waited until a Salmon fell into the kettle and

We

was boiled in their presence.

have seen as

many

as

haul of
eighty taken in a pool lower down the river at one
the seine, and one of the number weighed more than sixty

pounds."

The

having at length gained the upper and shallow

pools of the river, preparatory to the important operation of
fish

depositing the spawn in the gravelly beds, its colour will

be found to have undergone considerable alteration during
The male becomes marked on
the residence in fresh water.
the cheeks with orange-coloured stripes, which give

the

it

appearance of the cheek of a Labrus

gates,

the lower jaw elon;

and a cartilaginous projection turns upwards from the

when the jaws are closed, occupies a deep

the intermaxillary bones of the upper jaw ;
between
cavity
the body partakes of the golden orange tinge, and the

point, which,

Salmon

in

this

state

are dark in colour,

is

and

called

are as

a red-fish.

commonly

and by these terms both are designated

precautionary regulations

in those local

"

and

fish.

process of spawning has been described

observers.

females

intended for the protection and

preservation of the breeding

The

The

called black-fish

pair of fish are seen to

make

by

various

a furrow,

by

working up the gravel with their noses, rather against the

stream, as a Salmon cannot work with his head down stream,
for the water then

going into his

gills

the wrong way, drowns

SALMON.

When

him.

the

furrow

11

made,

is

male and female

the

one to the one side and the other

retire to a little distance,

to the other side of the furrow

they then throw themselves

sides, again come together, and rubbing against each

both shed their spawn into the furrow at the same
This process is not completed at once ; it requires

on their
other,

time.

from eight to twelve days for them to lay all their spawn,
and when they have done they betake themselves to the
pools to recruit themselves.

Three

pairs

have been seen

on the spawning-bed at one time, and were closely watched

while making the furrow and laying the spawn."*
The following extracts are made from a valuable paper

by Dr. Knox, published

in the Transactions of the

Royal

Society of Edinburgh.

" November

Salmon

be spawning
in the various tributary streams of the Tweed which join
that river from the north, and a pair are watched.
The ova
2.

are

observed

to

observed to be deposited near the sources of the stream on

the

2nd of November, and covered up with

gravel in the

usual way."

"

February 25, or a hundred and sixteen days after

being deposited, the ova, on being dug up, are found to be
If removed at this time, and preserved in
unchanged.
bottles filled with water, the

developement of the egg may

be hastened almost immediately by being put into warm

rooms

not necessary to change the water.

it is

hatched,

i.

e.

artificially,

longer than ten days

The

fry so

cannot be preserved alive in bottles

they eat nothing during their con-

finement."

" March
cast

23.

the fry are

The ova now changing

lying imbedded

the

outer shell

in the gravel,

* Ellis on the Natural

History of the Salmon.

as fishes

SALMON IDF.

12
somewhat

less

than an inch

in

being now twenty

length,

weeks from the period of their deposition."

On reopening the spawning-bed,

"April 1.
the fry had quitted it by ascending through the
During a former series of observations
ova imbedded

the

in

have

most of
gravel.

found the

unchanged on the 10th of

imbedded in the gravel,
but

gravel

or fishes,
April, and as fry

still

on the 17th
they were taken that year, with fly, as Smolts,
on the 22nd of April, about the size of the little finger."
:

Some specimens of Salmon fry now before me,

to the abdomen
portion of the ovum still attached
fish,

measure one inch in length

large

dusky grey marks across

ten

the

to

to believe,

genus Salmo.

the young of

have

seen

them

with nine or

These dusky

sides.

common,

patches, longer vertically than wide, are

reason

the head and eyes are

of the body pale brown,

the colour

with

of each

have

all

the species of the

in

the

young of the

Salmon, Bull-Trout, Salmon-Trout, Parr, Common Trout,

I have never had an opportunity of
and Welsh Charr.
examining the young of the Northern Charr, or the Great
Lake-Trout ; yet I have no doubt but that, when only two
they also are marked in the same
In a specimen of the young of the Salmon six
inches long, these transverse marks are still observable when

or three inches long,

manner.

the fish
light

is

and

viewed in a particular position in reference to the

if the scales are removed, the marks are much

more obvious.

In a Parr of the same length these marks

more conspicuous they are also very distinct in

the Common Trout and in the Welsh Charr for a consider-

are

still

able time

and

as

far

as

my own

examination has gone,

these lateral markings observable in the fry of the species of

Salmo

are lost, or

become

indistinct, sooner or later,

ing on the ultimate natural

size attained

by the

depend-

particular

SALMON.
thus, they are soonest

species

13
in the

lost

Salmon and

Trout and Parr

age or

It

markings.

indeed, I have never seen the Parr, at any

without some trace of the remains

size,

in

Common

the Bull-Trout, and are borne the longest in the

of these

markings and appearance

this similarity in

is

of the fry which has caused the difficulty in distinguishing

between the various species when so young; and experimenters, believing they had marked young Parr only, have
been surprised to find some of their marked

fish

return as

Grilse, young Bull-Trout or Whitling, Salmon-Trout, RiverTrout, and true Parr.

There

are

examples in other animals

striking

similarity in the

of this

markings, or family likeness, in the

young

of the various species of the same genus, however different

may be

the colours of the parent animals.

the lion and the

young of the

puma

tiger

are as

much marked

and leopard,

is

also

known

many

known

are

that the greater

of

time as the

indeed, of any of the

or,

other cats, whether striped or spotted

deer are said, and

The young

for a

and the young of

to be, spotted,

all

though

it

number of the adult animals

are perfectly plain.

To

return to the Salmon.

ed, being out of condition

as

unclean

fish.

They

fish is also called a

and

The

adult fish having spawn-

unfit for food, are considered

are usually called Kelts

Kipper, the female a Baggit.

the male

With

the

end of winter and the commencement of spring

descend
the river from pool to pool, and ultimately gain
they
the sea, where they quickly recover their condition, to ascend

floods of the

autumn

same purpose

; but always
remaining for a time in the brackish water of the tide-way
before making either decided change ; obtaining, it has been

again in

said, a release

or

internal,

for the

from certain

parasitic

by each seasonal

as before

animals, either external

change

those

of the

salt

14

SALMONID.E.

water being destroyed

by

the fresh, and vice

contact with

versa.

The

fry are observed to collect in small pools

heads preparatory to quitting the

and mill-dam

The specimen from

river.

which the figure on the page was taken was obtained

Thames, in which river they are occasionally caught
season, with other fry of Salmonidte,

by fishermen who work

on the gravelly shallows

at night with a casting-net

in the

in the

for

Gud-

geons to supply the London fishmongers.

My own specimens of the young of the Salmon having

been preserved in spirits, and the colours thereby affected,
the following description is from Dr. Heysham's Catalogue
before referred to, premising that

may be expected in
"Length seven
and

inches

one-eighth

silvery white,
sides

ing

to

green

differences in colour

head dark green

gill-covers

fine

marked with a dark-coloured spot belly and

the lateral line of the same silvery colour;
;

up to
and sides down

back

some

specimens from different rivers.

inches and a half; circumference three

sides

to

the lateral

above the

line

lateral

dusky,

line

inclin-

marked with

numerous blackish spots ; along the lateral line, and both a

little above and beneath it, several dull obscure red
spots
:

dorsal fin has twelve

spots

rays,

marked with

pectoral fin has twelve rays, of a

ventral fin eight

rays of a silvery white

several

dusky

blackish

olive colour

anal fin ten rays of

SALMON.

When

the same colour.

15

the scales were carefully taken off

with a knife, the obscure red spots became of a fine vermi-

and were nineteen

lion,

bars of a

number; and ten obscure

in

oval

dusky bluish colour appeared, which crossed the

In a young fry which has not acquired

lateral line.

scales,

these bars are very distinct.""

Whether

the river be considered an early or a late river,

the descent of the fry

same time in

is

much about

said to take place

the

March, and continues through

It rarely happens that any Salmon

It begins in

all.

April and part of

May.

The

fry are observed in the rivers late in June.

Smolt, or

young Salmon,
by the fishermen of some rivers called a
Laspring and various couplets refer to the fish, as well as to
is

the time

and circumstances under which the descent

is

made.
The

last

spring floods that happen in

Carry the Salmon

And

fry

down

May,

to the sea.

again,

The floods of May

Take the Smolts away.

But the uncertainty of popular

or provincial

of some rivers
others, as I

Laspring

is

the young of the true Salmon

is

know from having had specimens

really only a Parr

lected that the

fry of

to the sea about the

The Salmon
sides

and

rain,

must

is

but in

sent

me, the

also

be recol-

at least

as those of the

descend

Salmon.

keep in the slack water by the

they become stronger,

after a time, as

they go more towards the mid-stream

by

it

two other species

same time

fry at first

of the river

increased

names

The Laspring

source of great perplexity to the naturalist.

they move

and when the water

gradually down

meeting the tide, they remain

part where the water becomes a

for

the river.

is

On

two or three days in that

brackish from the mix-

little

SALMONI1XE.

16

ture of salt water,

till

they arc inured to the change, when

There, their growth

they go off to the sea all at once.
appears to be very rapid, and many return to the brackish
water, increased in size in proportion to the time they have been

Fry marked in April or early in May have returned by the end of June weighing from two to three pounds
and upwards.
The London markets during the latter part
absent.

of June, and the

months of July and August, exhibit

the year varying in weight from two to six pounds.

of

have

here figured, that weighed only fifteen ounces, which,

one,

judging from

been

its

appearance when

to sea, is the smallest

had been once to

called

by some of

when

larger, Grilse.

winter

bought it, that it had

specimen I have ever seen that
I

salt water.

These small-sized

first

fish

when under two pounds weight, are

the London fishmongers Salmon-Peal
fish,

These

fish

of the year breed during the

they return from the sea with the roc enlarged

the ova in a Grilse being of

nearly the same comparative
size as those

much

observed in a Salmon, but they mature only a

smaller number.

ing for a considerable

The

Grilse visit the estuary, remain-

time in the brackish water, afterwards

in the

tide-way above, ultimately pushing up to the sources

of the
tributary streams, and, as before observed, rather earlier in

the season, in the same river, than the more adult

fish.

SALMON.

17

has been a constantly received opinion,

It

young

rivers in

their first

after

fish

visit

to

that

all

and numbers of marked

which they had been bred
have been retaken in their native rivers
;

fish are stated to

but

it is

the

the sea return to the

equally certain that

rivers not far off.

The

some have been taken

difficulty

in other

of supposing that

they

could find and return to the same spot after roving for miles

That they do thus

along the coast remains to be solved.

rove for miles

is

proved by

the thousands that are taken in

Very many Tweed

nets placed in the bays along the coast.

Salmon have been caught opposite Hopetoun House on the

Forth ; and a very successful fishing there is generally followed by a scarce one in the Tweed.
It is therefore very
remarks
Dr.
of
probable, from the
Heysham and Sir William
Jardine, that

the fish happen to have roved far from the

if

estuary of their native river, they run at the proper season

up any stream, even the first they encounter, the temperature

and condition of which are congenial to them.

The growth

of the Salmon from the state of fry to that of

Grilse has been

shown

to be very rapid

and the increase in

weight attained during the second and each subsequent year

is

believed to be equal,

within the

first.

The

if

not to exceed, the weight gained

increase in size

during that part of the year in

is

which the

be almost a constant resident in the

principally gained

fish

sea.

may be

said to

That the food

sought for and obtained to produce and sustain so rapid an

increase

of size must

be very considerable

in quantity, as

well as most nutritious in quality, cannot be doubted.

the

Salmon

is

a voracious feeder,

may

That

be safely inferred from

the degree of perfection in the arrangement of the teeth, and

from

its

own

habits, of which proof will be adduced, as well

from the well-known habits of the species most closely

allied to it
yet of the many observers who have examined

as

SALMONID^.

18

the stomach of the Salmon to ascertain the exact nature of

that food which

must constitute

their principal support, few

Dr. Knox
have been able to satisfy themselves.
" that the food of the
Salmon, and that on which
estimable qualities, and, in his opinion,

its

states,
all

its

very existence,

depend, and which the fish can obtain only in the ocean, he
has found to be the ova or eggs of various kinds of echino-

From

dermata, and some of the Crustacea.

the richness of

the food on which the true Salmon solely subsists, arises, at

least to a certain extent,

an

the excellent qualities of the fish as

Something, however, must be ascribed to

article of food.

a specific distinction in the fish itself:

ascertained that the

Salmon-Trout

for

though he has

lives very

much

in

some

on the same kind of food as the true Salmon, yet

localities

under no circumstances does

site flavour as

this fish acquire the

same exqui-

the true Salmon."

That they occasionally, however, take other food, is also

well known.
Faber, in his Natural History of the Fishes of
" The common Salmon feeds on small
Iceland,
remarks,

fishes,

and various small marine animals."

" Their favourite food in the

sea

is

the

Dr.

Fleming says,
Sand Eel ;" and I have

myself taken the remains of Sandlaunce from the stomach.

Sir

William Jardine

mode

of fishing for

tised in the firths,

" In the north of Sutherland

says,

Salmon

sometimes successfully pracwhere Sand Eels are used as bait a line is

is

attached to a buoy or bladder, and allowed to float with the

up the narrow

tide

estuaries.

The Salmon

are also said to

be occasionally taken at the lines set for Haddocks, baited

with Sand Eels.
At the mouths of rivers they rise freely at
the

artificial

mon

fly

earth-worm

within
is

the other marine

and there

is

fifty

yards of the sea

and the com-

a deadly bait for the clean Salmon.

Salmon

are

known

All

to be very voracious

nothing in the structure of the mouth or strong

SALMON.

19

teeth of the

common Salmon,

there

material difference in their food.""

is

is

ing

any

to warrant us to

an extract from a letter sent

dine, dated St. Boswell's, 15 April

suppose that

The

follow-

me by Sir William Jar" The fisherman

1835
:

Tweed, fishing with worm one day

hooks and tackle taken away by a fish.

who

rents this part of the

last

week, had his

He

put on a new set, and again with worm in ten minutes

hooked and killed a Salmon with his former hooks and bait
prove extreme voracity, or
I have often
little
sensibility in the parts of the mouth.
heard fishermen mention a similar fact, but never before
in his

mouth.

knew an

This

will either

instance on which I could depend."

Several observers have borne testimony to the partiality of

the

Salmon

and

have a record

Wye

with a Min-

season, 1835, has been

more than of

Sandlaunce as food

to the

by an angler of Salmon caught

the

in

now.

The

present

London

usually remarkable for large Salmon.

from thirty-eight

ferent fish varying

have seen ten

to forty

pounds

dif-

each.

notice appeared in the public papers of one that weighed

fifty-five

pounds

and, from the inquiries made, there

is

rea-

son to believe most of these large-sized Salmon were sent

from the Tay. Salmon, however, of much larger size have

been occasionally taken.
Mr. Mudie has recorded one of
In a note to the history of the Salmon in
Walton, one is mentioned that weighed

sixty pounds.

editions of

several

seventy pounds

pounds

Pennant has noticed one of seventy-four

am aware, came into

the largest known, as far as I

the possession of

Mr. Groves, the fishmonger of Bond-street,

about the season of 1821.

eighty-three pounds

This Salmon, a female, weighed

fish for the
weight, but of

was a short

very unusual thickness and depth.

was

fine in colour,

When

and proved of excellent

cut up, the flesh

quality.

SALMONIDJE.

<>()

The Salmon

of the largest size killed by angling of which

in the Thames,
Mr.
G.
October 3, 1812, at Shepperton Deeps,
Marshall, of
Brewer-street, London, caught and killed a Salmon with a
I have been able to collect particulars, are,

a landing-net, that
single gut, without

weighed twenty-one

pounds four ounces.

H. Davy used

Sir

occasionally to visit the

This

sake of angling for Salmon.

river

is

Tweed

famed

for the

for afford-

ing amusement to the Salmon fisher, more especially from

" We have
the middle of March to the beginning of May.
heard," says Mr. Stoddart, in his Art of Angling as prac-

" that on one occasion

tised in Scotland,

pened by

Sir

H. Davy hap-

good fortune to hit upon an immense fish, weigh-

ing about forty-two pounds, immediately above Yair-bridgi

serere struggle.
This feat he
and captured him after
makes no mention of in his Salmonia, although certainly wor-

thy of some notice."

Mr.

Lascelles, in his Letters on Sporting, Part

" The
page 21,

says at

with a

fly

was

in Scotland

largest
:

it

Salmon

weighed

ever

I.

Angling,

knew taken

fifty-four

pounds and

a half."
It

may be

in the sea, or

push up

Salmon pass the summer

near the mouth of the estuary in autumn they

stated generally, that

rivers, diverging to

the tributary streams

they inhabit the pure fresh water,

again to the sea.

The

and

in winter

in spring

descend

question has frequently arisen, Could

Salmon be preserved permanently in fresh water ? and from

some facts to be adduced, it appears that they might, but not
without some diminution in size or quality, or both.

Mr. Lloyd,
vol.

i.

p.

in his Field
Sports of the

301, says,

fishery for

North of Europe,

" Near
Katrineberg there

is

Salmon, ten or twelve thousand of these

taken annually.

These Salmon arc bred in a

a valuable
fish

being

lake, and,

SALMON.
in

21

consequence of cataracts, cannot have access to the

sea.

The

year

They

are small in

and

size,

inferior in flavour.

1820 furnished 21,817."

A
not

large landed

know that

" In answer
was

to

first

at liberty to

do

mention, wrote as follows:

your inquiry about the Salmon fry I have

newly-formed pond, I must tell you, the water

in about the latter end of 1830, and some

my

put into

name

proprietor in Scotland, whose

am

let

months afterwards,

in April

1881,

dozen or two

in a

put

of small Salmon fry, three or four inches long, taken out of

a river here, thinking

it

would be curious to see whether

they would grow without the possibility

As

of their

getting

pond, between three

and four acres in extent, had been newly stocked with Trout,
to the sea or salt water.

I did not allow

any fishing

we caught with the

three pounds

till

fly several

the

summer

the

of 1833,

when

of these Salmon, from two to

weight, perfectly well shaped,

and

filled

up,

of the best Salmon colour outside, the flesh well-flavoured

and well-coloured, though a

run

paler than that of

little

new-

fish."

It

remains to describe the different modes by which the

are taken ; and these are as various, and the fisheries

Salmon
are as

of the

numerous and
fish

proprietors,

as extensive, as the value

would lead us to expect. The rights of the

which have arisen in various ways, some by

royal grants,

others

by possession

or occupation of the soil,

are generally farmed or hired at a rent

extent or value of the local stations.

upon the

and quantity

fish

is

in the

depending on the

The

first

summer months, when

attack

made

the Salmon

rove along the coast in quest of the mouths of the different

rivers, in

which they annually

expeditions, the fish generally

that they

may

not miss their

cast their

spawn.

"

On

these

swim pretty close to the shore,

and the fishermen, who
port
;

SALMON ID

2%

I..

are well aware of this coasting voyage of the

care to project their nets at such places as

Salmon, take

may be most

con-

venient for intercepting them in their course."

"

happens that Carrick-a-rede (the rock in the road),

between Ballycastle and Portrush, eastward of Ballintoy,
is

It so

the only place on this abrupt coast (the northern coast of

the county of Antrim) which

is

The

suited for the purpose.

projected directly outward from the shore with a slight

bend, forming a bosom in that direction in which the Salmon

net

is

From

come.

the remote extremity of the net a rope

is

by which

to another part of the shore,

brought obliquely
the net may be swept round at pleasure and drawn to the
land
a heap of small stones is then prepared for each per:

All

son.

things

being ready, as soon as the watchman

perceives the fish advancing to the net, he gives the watch-

Immediately some of the fishermen seize the oblique

rope, by which the net is bent round to enclose the Salmon,
while the rest keep up an incessant cannonade with their
word.

ammunition of stones,

to prevent the retreat of the fish

the net has been completely pulled round them

after

till

which

they all join forces, and drag the net and fish quietly to the
rocks." *

Pursuing a course along the shore and arrived at an

estuary, on each side of the mouth, and for miles up on both
stake-nets are used, of which the vignette represents

sides,

the form.

The

on the shore

is

distance between high and low water

the site occupied.

The

shallow extremity

of the net on the left hand in the figure, which

is

fixed

and

placed on the shore at high-water

the deepest part of the net, at low-water mark ; the

supported by stakes,

mark

mark

is

concavity of the sweep of the net between

its

two ends,

* Letters
concerning the Natural History of the Basalts on the Northern
Coast of the County of Antrim, by the Rev. William Hamilton, A.B.

SALMON.

called the

court, being

running up the river

the

opposed or open to the flood-tide

Salmon which in their passage up

along-shore strike against any part of the net are conducted

by

form to the chambers, from whence they can find no

its

retreat.

Many

the wide part of the estuaries, ascending

in

fish,

with each flood-tide and returning with the ebb,

is

it

not

unusual to have stake-nets placed in the reverse position,

with the courts open to the ebb-tide, on purpose to meet this
disposition in the

catch as

many

Salmon

fish

in

their

and they do actually sometimes

downward as in their upward

course.

The

central portions

called cobles,

mode

of the streams,

of fishing

is

of which are

with a net dropped into the water from

the stern of a boat, as the boat

Men

many

worked incessantly by fishermen in boats

with long sweeping seine-like nets.
Another

are

very wide,

is

rowed away from the shore.

where

are stationed at particular places near the river,

the water

habituated

is

shallow, to watch the fish

are they to this,

coming up

and so

that they can discover

ripple on the surface of the water even a solitary fish

by a

making

SALMON IDE.

24

When

his progress upward.

alarm or signal

is

thus discovered,

is

fisli

men

instantly given to the

house where the fishermen lodge

and immediately a boat

rowed off by one man with great

attached to it, and ready prepared
into the water, one

end of which

an

at the shiel or

celerity,

for

is

having a net

dropping gradually
and the

tied to the boat,

is

dragged with a rope by men on shore ; and by taking

a considerable sweep, an endeavour is made to surround the
other

fish.

or

is

When

thus discovered coming up, they seldom escape.

Higher up the river, and in parts that are narrow, weirs

dams are built across the stream. At certain intervals
Cruives are enclosed

along these weirs, cruives are placed.

spaces formed in the dam wall the fish enter these spaces,
through which the water rushes, as they push up the stream,
and are prevented by a grating of a peculiar contrivance from
;

returning or getting out.

the river between these

All the wide and open pools of

artificial,

any other natural conand sweep

or

tractions of the stream, are fished with the coble

net.

In the work by the

Rev. William

Hamilton already

quoted, and in the second series of Mr. Jesse's Gleanings in

Natural History, an interesting account

assistance afforded

when working

by

a water-dog to

is

related

The dog

nets in shallow pools.

post in a ford or on a scour where the water

deep, and

at a distance

the net, the fish

tion towards

below the net

if

makes a shoot down the

the sea

of the

some Salmon fishermen

is

takes his

not very

Salmon escapes

river in the direc-

the dog watches and marks his ap-

proach by the ripple on the water, and endeavours to turn

the fish back towards the net, or catch him ; if he fails in

both attempts, and the fish passes him, the dog then quits
the water, in which the
pace of the fish is too fast for him,
and runs with all his speed down the bank of the river to

SALMON.
intercept the fish at

the next shallow ford, where another

I learn
opportunity and a second diverting attempt occurs.
also from Mr. Bicheno, that dogs are occasionally used when

trying for Salmon in that part of Glamorganshire where he

now

These dogs appear to take great pleasure

the pursuit, exhibiting by turns the most patient watch-

in

resides.

fulness,

either

persevering exertion, or extraordinary sagacity,

quality

may

best effect the wishes of the

as

master.

In some parts of Wales, where the rivers are narrow, and

the Salmon are caught in a net drawn by men on each bank,
dogs are trained to swim over from side to side with the
head and ground lines of the net, as required.
Sir Walter Scott, in his novels of Redgauntlet and Guy
Mannering, has described with his well-known skill and
effect the animated scenes which occur when parties are

engaged in spearing Salmon either by daylight or torchlight,

as practised in the North.
These works are familiar to

and repetition would be useless. For the following description of two other modes of taking Salmon I am indebtall,

ed to the kindness of Dr. Richardson.

particular kind of fishing

is

peculiar to

the

Solway

Firth, or at least can be practised with success only where

the tide flows, as

instrument used

it

is

does there, over extensive

termed a "

11

halve,

and

flats.

The

consists of a fun-

nel-shaped net ending in a pocket or bag.

The mouth

of

on an oblong frame about three yards

When
to
which
is attached a handle or pole.
there
wide,
this net is stretched

the tide begins to flow, a

number

of fishermen proceed over

the sands, and range themselves in a close line across the

current

bottom, and
it

its

pole against his shoulder

becomes too deep

who then
VOL.

on the

of the flood, each with the halve resting

II.

raises his

for the

man

farthest

as the tide rises,

from the shore,

net and places himself at the other ex-

SALMONID.E.

26

tremity of the line, where he

is

by another

shortly succeeded

and another, the whole thus changing places continually.

When

a fish strikes the halve,

above the surface by

treat until

it

instantly elevated
its re-

can be carried into shallow water and secured.

is

the mouths of the nets are

is

the fisherman, so as to prevent

During the ebb a similar plan

der

mouth

its

pursued in a reversed orturned to the current,

still

but the fishermen now move in turn to the end of the line
Flat-fish are the princi-

in the water.

which stands deepest

but prime
pal returns of this fishing;

Salmon

are occasionally

taken both on the flood and ebb.

This kind of fishing being as yet open to

tered

by parliamentary enactments, there

is

all,

and unfet-

scarcely a cot-

tage on the shores of the Solway Firth where the halve-net

may not be seen suspended. The fishermen have all some
other employment by which they maintain their families,

being mostly artisans

and they generally consume the

produce of the halve-net at

to take

a fish whose value

for the

home, unless they chance

sufficient to compensate them

is

time spent in going to market, sometimes ten or twelve

miles distant.

Somewhat akin

wooden

pillars,

distance

into

to

this

Narrow

Frith of Forth.

are carried

the river.

more fishermen

are

dropped down from the

The owner

and on a

net,

When

Salmon

fishery

stages or platforms,

from the shore

is

the

in

supported on

for a considerable

each of these half-a-dozen

station themselves with bag-nets,

straw hurdle, such as

his

the

Upon

or

of the tide.

is

which

side of the stage with the current

concealed, and also sheltered

by a

used in decoys for water-fowl, watches

fish

being taken, instantly secures

the tide ebbs, the net

is

it.

shifted to the opposite side of

the stage.

"

singular

method of taking Salmon

is

practised at

SALMON.

27

Invermoriston, in the county of Inverness, where the river

flows

The

narrow chasm between two

in

rocks.

projecting

fisherman seats himself on a cleft of this rock, right

over the cascade, with a spear in his hand, which has a line
fixed to the upper end of the shaft, similar to the practice

of fishing for

to gain the ascent over the

strikes the fish

spearman

Whenever the Salmon

Whales with harpoons.

makes a spring

and

the line until the fish has exhausted his strength

by

the

cataract,

the shaft go, holding only

lets

then

the spear and fish are thrown ashore by the stream, and taken

out at the lower side of the pool."

The mode
rivers of

of fishing for Salmon in the Severn, and other

Wales, with

concluding notice.

and

coracles

The

coracle

is

nets, requires a short

and

a small boat constructed

with willow twigs in the manner of basket-work, or with

of elastic wood, both the form and the material

slips

split

is

In the neighbourhood of
covered with canvass and

is

covered with

varying in different counties.

the

Shrewsbury,
painted

in

framework

Cardiganshire

it

afterwards with a coating of

tar.

The

boat

flannel,
is

and

something

than six feet long, and about four feet wide, with a seat

less

across the middle.

little

boat

is

The form

of the paddle with which this

impelled and guided along

in the Severn, the blade

is

also varied

is

square, as represented in the

specimen lying on the ground in the vignette

the more

elongated blade of the paddle in the hand of the fisherman

is

the form in use on the Dee.

ance

is

The

boat, which in appear-

not unlike one half of a walnut-shell,

and portable that the fisherman carries it

These coracles,* so
water on his back.

to

is

so

light

and from the

called, it is said,

from cortww, the hide of the beast with which they were
*

This word

hide-bound.

is

sometimes written coriacle, and

may

be derived from coriago,

SALMONID.E.

28

of great antiquity
they were known in
formerly covered, are
Lucan
to be very nearly
described
are
Caesar's time, and
by
:

the same as in our

" With

own

days.

twisted osiers the

boats were made,

first

O'er which the skins of slaughter'd beasts were laid

With these the Britains on the oceans row,
the Venetians on the swelling

And

The custom
alluded

MS.

to

Po."

of alternately carrying or being carried, as

and his boat,

fisherman

by the

practised

is

whimsically

from an

extracted

in the following lines,

old

history of Shropshire.
" Some
in

pursuit of prey,
sportsmen
Their horses on their shoulders lay

But

seizing of the booty, then

sit their

They

men.

steeds like other

Returning home when

all is o'er,

Their steeds they carry as before."

The

coracle

is

in

request

frequent

with

fly-fishers,*

the banks of the rivers being in some places very rugged

and steep,

others overgrown with

in

wood

the water's

to

edge.

The

fishing for

men, each

Salmon

in coracles is

performed by two

them down

boat, drawing between

in his little

the stream a single-walled trammel, called there a horn-net,

from

its

sliding

along the top.

which

is

by means of rings of horn, instead of

Through

held by one of the fishermen.

this

running

net

is

line,

which

is

By

pulling

quickly closed when a

Medwin,

on the bridge

in his
at

fish

Angler

Machynlleth

in

Wales,

for

drag for Salmon

and

it

"
says,

some time,

operations of two fishermen in coracles.

to

upon

from the drag-line, the

Various mostrikes it.

distinct

difications of this sort of net occur in different rivers.

tain

corks,

these rings runs a line, the end of

We

Capstood

to watch the

They were about

must have been

difficult

* Hansard's
Trout and Salmon Fishing in Wales,
pages 145 and 184.

to

.SALMON.

The

balance

the

preserve

net was

When

them.

was

all

such

in

attached

the

management

very dexterous in

of their canoes, and perfectly unconscious

The

of danger.

first

essay was

failure

Salmon of

ten or twelve pounds' weight leaped over the corks."

doubly-walled trammel-nets are

The

their

and then reunited, drawing

They seemed

cautiously the sweep.

made with

the fishermen

clear,

machines.

fragile

two boats, and connected

paddles a considerable circle,

in

and

frail

the

to

now

Long

in use near
Shrewsbury.

length of the head of the Salmon, as compared to the

whole length of the

fish, is as

one to

five

the eye rather small,

placed nearer to the point of the nose than to the posterior edge
of the gill-cover

the peculiarities of the teeth and the parts

of the operculum have been already described

the last ray of the dorsal

fin

the origin of

about half-way between the

point of the nose and the end of the

tail

the

two rays

first

simple and shorter than the third, which is the longest and
branched
all the other
the last
rays of this fin branched
;

ray double, but arising from a single origin,

as one

is

only counted

the posterior edge of the base of the adipose fin

is

half-way between the origin of the last dorsal fin-ray and the
end of the tail, and over the origin of the last ray of the anal
fin.

The

pectoral fin two-thirds of the length of the head

ventral fin in a vertical line under the middle of the dorsal

fin,

with an axillary scale two-fifths of the length of the

ventral fin itself;

the

anal fin

between the origin of the ventral

commences about half-way

and the commencement of

fin

the lower caudal fin-rays, the third ray the longest, the

first

two rays simple, the others branched the form of the tail
The body is elongated ; the
has been already noticed.
dorsal and abdominal line about equally convex
the lateral
:

line near the

fleshy portion

middle of the body, dividing

of the

tail

slender,

it

and ending

equally
in

the

the form

30

SALMONID.E.

of one half of a hexagon

the scales moderate in size, oval

thin, easily removed when young, adherent when

The fin-rays in number are

and

D. 13

P. 12

V. 9

Salmon, and indeed

A. 9

C. 19.

old.

Vertebrae 60.

the Salmonida, like other fish that

all

swim near the surface of the water, cannot be eaten too fresh
fine

its

London

In

capture.

highest

flavour, as well as its value, diminish rapidly after

price

the

Thames Salmon commands

next

in

point

of value

is

the
sent

that

from Woodmill or Christchurch in Hampshire ;

then those fish received from the Severn, which are usually

up

either

brought by the mail from Gloucester.

Thames Salmon

a prize to a fisherman, which, like

is

other prizes, occurs but seldom.

The

last

have a note of was taken in June 1833.

the

Common

May

wings

Thames Salmon

The

Tern, or Sea-Swallow, which on

its flight for

to the fishermen to

miles up the Thames,

appearance of
its

arrival in

is

the signal

keep a good look-out for a Salmon the

Tern and a Salmon
:

occasionally coincident reappearance of a

has induced some of the

former the

name

Thames fishermen

of the Salmon-bird.

to apply to the

BULL-TROUT.

31

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

SALMON'ID&.

THE BULL-TROUT.
THE GREY TROUT.
Salmu

,,

,,

,,

WHITL1NG.

LINNAEUS.

eriox,

cinereus aut griseus,

griseus sen cinereus,

WILLUGHBY, p. 193.
RAY, p. 63, A. 3.
eriox,
Grey, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 394.
Cambriscus, Sewin, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 91.
eriox,
Grey, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 180, sp. 46.

THE BULL-TROUT
and Salmon-Trout by

is

distinguished from the

several

specific

gill-cover differs decidedly in form, as

central

of

figure

The operculum
more

ROUNDTAIL.

straight

backwards

is

the

illustration

peculiarities.

The

examination of the

page

larger; the free vertical

the inferior posterior angle

will

show.

margin much

more elongated

the line of union with the suboperculum not so

oblique, but nearly parallel

the fish

at

Salmon

with the axis of the body of

the inferior edge of the suboperculum parallel to

the line of union with the operculum: the interoperculum

SAI.MOXID.K.

much deeper

vertically

the vertical edge of the preoper-

The

culum more sinuous.

teeth

in

the

Bull-Trout are

longer and stronger than those of the Salmon ; but, like

the Salmon, the two or three teeth that may be seen on
the vomer occupy the
is

most anterior part only.

is twelve months

square by the time this fish

shown

the figure above, from a female fish in

in
at

winter,

The

which period and during

its

tail

old, as is
its

second season

first
it

is

Whitling in the Tweed ; it is afterwards called

and the central rays of the tail continuing

called a

a Bull-Trout

to increase in length with age, the posterior edge becomes

convex

variation

in

to be designated in the

when
cies

old,

also

Salmon

form which has caused

Annan by

the

this

fish

name of Roundtail

and Sea-Trout when young. It is to this spethe names of Norway Trout and Norway

that

are believed to refer, as used

occasionally on

Tweed,
and some of the northern parts of Scotland. The Warkworth Trout and Coquet Trout of Northumberland and

Durham

are the

young of the Bull-Trout.

The Bull-Trout, in all its

better known in the Tweed
as

abundant as the Salmon.

istence of this species in

stages

than
I

of growth,

elsewhere

is
it

probably
is

there

have had proof of the ex-

some of the

rivers of Dorsetshire

BULL-TROUT.
and Cornwall
I

have seen

it

occurs in the estuary of the Severn, and

from the rivers of South Wales.

it

sham includes

this fish

among

Mr. Low

run into the Solway.

berland that

Dr. Hey-

those of the rivers of

Cumit

says

is

found in the loch of Stenness, Orkney.

The Bull-Trout appears to be the Salmo maculis cinereis

caudte

extremo tequali of Artedi,

and probably
sen griseus

as

also,

of

quoted, the

page 23,

Willughby and Ray, whose

have precedence

This

of eriox.

the weight of twenty pounds

curs under fifteen

it

more commonly
ascends

It

pounds' weight.

names

specific

sometimes attains

fish

but

sp.

Graia Salmo cinereus

manner

the purpose of spawning, in the same

rivers

ocfor

as the Sal-

and the fry are believed

mon, but earlier in the season
to go down to the sea sooner than the fry of the Salmon.
;

This species affords good sport to anglers

fly or

taking any

ciously,

muscularity,

out

leaping

it

bait freely

a powerful fish

is

of the

water.

It

is

is

the flesh, even

it

feeds voraits

great

when hooked, frequently

not,

the same degree of estimation as food

Salmon-Trout

and, from

when the

however,
as

held in

the Salmon or

fish is in

season,

of a pale orange colour, at other times yellowish white.

But few

are sent to the

London markets, and

these produce

comparatively but an inferior price.

The

description

is

taken from an adult male of thirty-two

inches in length, from which the cut at the head of this

was drawn and engraved.

length of the head compared to that of the body
one to four ; the teeth and the form of the
is as
only
the
of
gill-covers have been already described ; the
parts

article

The

elongation of the under jaw

but

is

Salmon

not
;

in

the

is

peculiar to the males only,

Bull-Trout so conspicuous

the dorsal fin

as

in

the

commences half-way between the

SALMON1DJE.

34

point of the nose and the origin of the short upper caudal
rays

of

than

the base of the dorsal fin longer

its

rays

of the

the adipose

than

tail

large,

the longest

and nearer

the length of the pectoral

fin

little

very

fin-ray

been noticed

ages has

different

at

tail

the length of the head.

The

scales

with

numerous concentric

only
the

number of
line

lateral

the dorsal

twenty

size, the

number forming

the lateral

line

the

whether taking
backward,

the anal

fin

the

ventral

of the ventral

arrangement

of the

number

scales

fin

the
is

fin

about

up

twenty-five

obliquely
the

as

long

line,

forward

axillary

the

being
a row

lateral

than in the Salmon

tail

fin

forming

the

to

ascends

nearly half as

nearer the

of equal

fish

dorsal

of those

scale

that

line

lateral

Bull-Trout are

a continuous oblique row from

number

axillary

the

to

up

row from

in

the

of

the base of the

to

up

about twenty-six

from

part of

ventral

The

are
lines

of the anterior

than those of the Salmon in

smaller

rather

or

the

Salmon

of the

oblique

and the

about eighteen.

line

the

of

scale

axillary

base

the

to

up

forming an oblique line from

scales

following

fin,

about

scales,

the

oval,

substance,

the

more than half

thin

in

end

to the

the origin of the last dorsal

to

the form of the

fin

scale

fin

itself:

all

the fins

muscular.

The

fin-rays of the

Bull-Trout in number are

D. 11

V. 9

P. 14

A. 11

C. 19

Vertebrae 59.

In

six specimens out of seven, the number of vertebrae

was fifty-nine ; in the other,
Fifty-nine will probasixty.

bly prove to be the normal

The form
of the

of the

Salmon, but

number

in the Bull-Trout.

body of this fish

the nape

is

similar to that

and shoulders

are

thicker,

BULL-TROUT.
the

fleshy

the

fins

portion

but

the water,

and

the

body

tail

and the base of each of

the males

are

rather

are

the

The

smaller.

strongest

most eager

for

in

bait,

colours of the

the head olive brown,

the spawning season are

reddish brown or orange brown, that of the females

a blackish grey

darker brown

brown.

the females are the

their teeth

males in

of the

more muscular

35

The

the dorsal fin reddish brown, spotted with

the

tail

dark brown

the other fins dusky

general colour at other times like that of the

Salmon-Trout.

The Salmo hucho

same

as the

of English

Bull-Trout

authors

is

probably the

SALMONID.E.

36

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGU.

THE SALMON-TROUT.
Salmo trutta, LINNAEUS.
,,

WlLIA'CJHBY,

,,

p. 198.

PF.NN. Brit. Zool. vol.

Sea-Trout,

FLEM.

THE SALMON-TROUT
next

An.

Brit.

abundant

in the rivers of Scotland,

value

to

by the

distinguished

in its

and

It

its flesh is

is

most

excellent.

gill-cover

on the right-hand of the vignette at

The posterior
of the Salmon-Trout.

representation

page

that

is

free margin, it will

be observed,

of the Salmon on

the

left

of the

Bull-Trout, which

figure.

The

operculum,

line

is

body
culum rounded,

rounded than that

is

represented

by the middle

of union of the operculum with the sub-

and the

of the

less

hand, but more so than that

inferior

The

of the suboperculum,

margin

are oblique,
forming a considerable

the

being intermediate
form between that of the Salmon and Bull-Trout.

is

The

397

the Salmon.

country,

It

p.

of the migrating species in this

is,

the

in

iii.

p. 180, sp. 45.

angle with the axis of

edge of the preoperThe

not sinuous, as in the Bull-Trout.

fish.

posterior

SALMON- TROUT.

teeth

are

in the

more slender

Salmon

ing along

well

as

or Bull-Trout

of

a great part

37

more numerous than

as

vomer extend-

those on the

its

and indenting the

length,

tongue deeply between the two rows of teeth that are

The tail is less
there placed, one row along each side.
forked at the same age than that of the Salmon, but becomes, like
size

it,

The

square at the end after the third year.

and surface of the

tail

also

is

much

smaller than that

of the Salmon, from the comparative shortness of the caudal

rays.

The

in

fish

and Ireland

the

is

Cornwall, and

it
is

is

this

second year

its

represents this species in

This

head of

the

figure at

the Salmon-Trout

article

represents

the second

figure

its first year.

White Trout of Devonshire, Wales,

found in the Severn, in the

plentiful

the

in

Esk and

which communicate with the Solway, where

it

rivers of

the
is

Eden,

called Sea-

Trout.

The

habits

of this species

are

also

before the males.

Sir

William Jardine

those of

very like

the Salmon, and the females are said to run

up
" In

the rivers

approaching the entrance of rivers, or in seeking out, as it were,

some one they

preferred,

shoals

of this fish

coasting the bays and headlands,

great numbers, from about

one

says,

may be

seen

leaping and sporting

pound

to

three

or

in

four

SALMONID.E.

38
in weight

pounds

and

in

some of

with a

common

for in

the estuaries, with the ordinary

the

rivers

and appa-

it,

In these bays they are occasionally taken

rently feeding.

in

bays the

the. smaller

shoal could be traced several times circling

hang-net stretched across

and when angled

which are used

flies

of the South for Grilse, rose and

took

so

eagerly, that thirty-four were the produce of one rod, enThey enter every
gaged for about an hour and a half.
river

and

immense numbers, and when

in

rivulet

Salmon

for the

fishing

The

annoying from their quantity.

are

food of those taken with the rod in the estuaries appeared

very indiscriminate

some small

occasionally the remains of

which were too much digested to be distinguished ;

sometimes flies, beetles, or other insects, which the wind
fish,

or tide
to

had

carried out

but the most general food seemed

be the Talitris locusta, or

common

which some of their stomachs were

It

is

completely crammed.

to arrive with

scarcely possible

numbers of

Two

this fish.

sand-hopper, with

any certainty

hundred

at the

are frequently taken

at a single draught of a sweep-net, and three hundred

have occasionally been counted.*"
They are much more
numerous in the Don, the Spey, and the Tay, than in the

Tweed.
Great quantities of this Salmon-Trout are sent to the

London market
and Aberdeen

from

those

appear,

body, to be better fed,

to be finer in flavour than

The Fordwich Trout

and

its

only to

of Isaac

from

Walton

character for affording

the circumstance of

its

Dundee,

Perth,

Montrose,

from their comparative depth of

are higher in colour, and considered

"

some
is

rare

other

localities.

the Salmon-Trout

being really an excellent

fish,

second

the Salmon, was

greatly enhanced, no doubt,

the opportunity of
eating

it

very fresh.

good meat," besides

Fordwich

is

by

about

SALMON-TROUT.
two

miles

of

east-north-east

39

The

Canterbury.

called the Stour was formerly very considerable

it

stream

commu-

nicates with the sea opposite the back of the Isle of

Sheppy,
and from Fordwich one branch going eastward, again enters
the

sea

at

The

Sandwich.

ancient right

to the fishery

Fordwich was enjoyed jointly by two religious establishments it is now vested in six or seven individuals, who
at

receive a consideration

for

their

formerly the custom to visit

the fish

morning to purchase

I have seen specimens of the

several interests.

the nets

at

It

was

Fordwich every

caught during the night.

Salmon-Trout from the Sand1

wich river exposed for sale in the

shops at

fishmongers

Ramsgate, during the season for visiting that watering-place

and the Salmon-Trout

Medway by
the

fishermen

autumn and

of the

also

occasionally taken in

the

who work long

nets for Smelts during

have obtained a young fish
Thames from the men who fish for

winter.

the

year in

is

Shads above Putney-bridge in the months of June and

July.

The

largest adult fish of this species I

was in

Bond-street

have ever seen

possession of Mr. Groves, the fishmonger of

the

this

specimen, which occurred in June 1831,

fine condition,

and weighed seventeen

states, that the

Salmon-Trout, or Sea-

was a female in very

pounds.

Dr.

Mac

Trout,
resident

as

in

Culloch
it

is

called in

Scotland,

fresh-water lake in

is

the

now
island

permanent

of Lismore,

and without the power of leaving

it has been known for a
long
reconciled
to its prison, and properfectly

one of the Hebrides,

it

or reaching the sea.

course of years,

There

pagating without any apparent difficulty."*

The

length of the head

is,

when compared with the length

* Journal of the
Royal Institution, No. xxxiv.

p.

211.

SALMONID.E.

40

of the body alone, as one to four ; the depth of the body

compared to the whole length of the fish is also as one
to four

and numerous,

small

teeth

the

rows on the upper surface of the mouth

five

occupying

those of the cen-

row on the vomer extending some distance along

tral

the points turning outwards alternately to each side

it,

one

row upon each side of the under jaw, and three or four
teeth on each side of the tongue, strong, sharp, and curving
backwards,
prey,

or

well

calculated

to

assist

holding a

in

convey food towards the pharynx

to

of the eye situated half-way between

living

the middle

the point of the nose

and the posterior edge of the preoperculum

the form of
the parts of the gill-cover have been already described and
:

figured.

The

first

ray of the dorsal

short

fin is

ray long, equal to the length of the base

articulation

at

the second

of the

fin

the

base of the last dorsal fin-ray exactly

the

half-way between the point of the nose and the end of the
tail

the fleshy fin on the back being also half-way between

the base of the last ray of the dorsal fin and the end of the
tail.

The body

of the

fish

rather deep for

its

length

the lateral line very nearly straight, and passing along the

middle of the body

the scales adhering closely

in

form

and having
the dorsal fin, and

rather a longer oval than those of the Salmon,

about twenty-three in the usual line up to

twenty-two below
D. 12

The upper

The

it.

P. 13

V. 9

fin-rays in
:

A. 10

number

C. 19.

are

Vertebra 58.

part of the head and back dark bluish black,

becoming lighter on the sides, which are marked with numerous spots, somewhat resembling in form the letter

these spots are

mostly above the lateral line.

of the sides and

belly silvery white
silvery white

the dorsal

fin,

The

lower part

cheeks and gill-covers

fleshy fin,

and

tail,

nearly as

SALMON-TROUT.
dark as the colour of the back

and bluish white

line

41

the pectoral fin rather small

the ventral fins white, arising in a vertical

under the middle of the dorsal

fin

the anal

fin

white,

the base of the fin one-third shorter than the longest of

fin-rays.

When

a Salmon,

it is,

but

the Salmon-Trout

is

its

placed by the side of

in comparison, darker in colour in the body,

lighter in the colour of the fins.

The Phinock
of Dr. Fleming,

North, the Salmo albus

or Hirling of the
is

perhaps distinct

from the Salmon-Trout

but the specimens of it which I have received

;
so exactly resemble the young of the Salmon-Trout in its
that I am unable to point out any sufficiently
first year,

just described

distinguishing specific character

a species, in the hope that

it

will

it

is

therefore omitted as

be hereafter described and

by some naturalist who has better opportunities, and

more materials for proving its specific distinction.

figured

VOL.

II.

SALMON

1).E.

ABDOMINAL
SALMONID&.

MALACOPTERYG1I.

THE PARR, OR SAMLET.

Salmo salmulus, WILLUGHBY,

,,

,,

THIS

p. 192.

RAY, Syn. p. 63,

PENN. Brit. Zool.

little fish,

vol.

iii.

p.

404.

one of the smallest of the British Sal-

monidte, has given rise to

species

sp. 2.

of the genus.

more discussion than any other

in our Salmon rivers,

Abounding

and conspicuous for those lateral marks which are now known
to be borne also for a time by the young of the Trout as
well as the fry of the other Salmomda, and this fish always
appearing of small comparative
insisted
lations

upon

as the

size,

it

has frequently been

young of the Salmon, and local regu-

have as generally been invoked for

its

preserva-

tion.

The

fry,

Salmonida

however, of the different species of migratory

even now probably accurately known only

are

to a few persons
their great similarity when very small
has so frequently deceived even those who have lived the
:

greater part of their lives on the

Salmon

river banks,

that

PARR.
the fry marked

them

all

by them,

have been retaken as

experiments, believing

Grilse,

Bull- Trout, Salmon-Trout,

That the Parr

is

not the young of the

indeed of any other of the larger species of

or

Salmonidte, as
vious from

their

be what they considered the young of the Parr,

to

and River-Trout.
Salmon,

in

43

still

considered

by some,

the circumstance that Parrs

be taken in the rivers

all

is

sufficiently ob-

by hundreds may

the summer, long after the fry

of the year of the larger

migratory species have gone
to
in

down

and the greater part of those Parrs taken even

autumn do not exceed five inches in length, when no
the sea

example of the young of the Salmon can be found under

or eighteen inches, and the young of the Bull-

sixteen

Trout and Salmon-Trout are large

in proportion.

As

has

been before stated, the transverse dusky bars from which

this fish has

obtained the

are family marks, borne

time, are obliterated

on the ultimate
adult

by

name
all

of Brandling and Fingerling

the species of the genus for a

by degrees, and

size attained

at

periods depending

by the individual species

when

the soonest probably in the Salmon, and certainly the

latest in the Parr.

" Some of the

rivers of Scotland

being unprotected, are

poached to such an extent that very few

Salmon or Salmon-

Trout escape the nets or spears of their relentless pursuers

Statistics of Scotland.
yet the Parr swarms in shoals."
" In the Western Isles
there are streams in which Parrs
;

and alcommon, although Salmon never visit them

the
Salmon and the Sea-Trout, Salmo trutta, frethough

are

quent some of the lakes, yet the Parr has never been seen in
these lakes."*

Dr. Heysham, of Carlisle, devoted particular attention

which is there called Branlin and

to the history of this fish,

*

By

the Editor of the

Edinburgh Quarterly Journal of Agriculture.

SALMONID^.

44
Samlet; and some of
adopting only the

his

observations

name of Samlet,

are

here

repeated,

for reasons that will

be

hereafter explained.

" The

old Samlets begin

to deposit their

spawn

in

De-

cember, and continue spawning the whole of that month,

As

and perhaps some part of January.

year

made during

are

this season of the

not favourable for angling, few or no observations

is

these

As

months.

soon as

they have

spawned, they retire, like the Salmon, to the sea, where

they remain till the autumn, when they again return to the
rivers."

" The
spawn deposited by
begins to exclude the

the old

Samlets in the

sand

or fry, according to the tempe-

young

rature of the season, either in April or

The young

May.

Samlets remain in the rivers where they were spawned during the whole of the spring, summer, and autumn, and do

not acquire their

full size till

the autumn, about which time

the old ones return from the sea.

although

and

fore part

ones

Hence

it is

there are Samlets of various sizes

of the summer,

the spring

there will be no very large

when the young ones have nearly

the autumn,

till

evident that,

in

acquired their full size, and the old ones have returned to
associate with their offspring.

"

"

If the weather be mild and open in

January

bruary, Samlets are taken when

empty
short,

bellies,

we

see

and

in

retiring to

weak emaciated

Samlets of various

sizes

milt and roe in various stages, and

empty

all

shire,

we
see

and Fesea with

condition.
see

In

them with

them

perfectly

which circumstances clearly prove that they are

a distinct species.
Sir

we

the

1 ''

William Jardine, during an excursion

observed that the Parr decreased in

proceeded northward

in Sutherland-

numbers

and detailing the result of

as he

his obser-

PARR.

vations

made on

" that the

some

this

others, has

The

fish is

rendered

uncertainty,

greatest

among

solution of

the

however, has

Among

in

or

forming

it

interesting.

latterly

resolved

distinct, or a variety or

young of the common Trout, S. fario

Salmon it has no connexion whatever."

"

ichthyologists,

only the young of

or

distinct,

whether the Parr was

itself into,

Tweed, further adds,

which they appear to have

difficulty

whether

Parr of the
of opinion

difference

rather the

one,

the

45

with the migratory

the British Salmonida, there

habits are so regular, or the colours

is

no

fish

whose

and marking so constant.

It frequents the clearest streams, delighting in the shallower

fords or heads of the streams, having a fine

gravelly bottom,
and hanging there in shoals, in constant activity, apparently
It takes any bait at any time with the
day and night.
and hundreds may be taken when no
greatest freedom
;

though abundant among

history only which is yet unknown
Males are found so far advanced as to have

Trout, either large or small, will

That

them.
is

part of

the breeding.

the

milt flow

indeed
in a

all

rise,

its

on being handled

but at that time, and

those females which I have examined, had the roe

backward
in

spawning
the Trout."

state

and they have not been discovered

any of the shallow streams or lesser rivulets, like

SALMON!!)

46

K.

" In

the markings tliey are so distinct as to be at once

Trout by any observer. The row of blue
separated from the
Trout, and in the
marks which is also found in the

young

Salmomda, in the Parr are narrower and

The general spotting seldom extends
more lengthened.
young of several
below the

lateral line,

are a very constant

and two dark spots on the

On

mark.

still

closer

gill-cover

comparison
the

between the young Trout and Parr of similar size,

The Parr is
following distinctions present themselves

alto-

gether more delicately formed

more forked

the nose

but the chief external

is

blunter, the

distinction

immense comparative power of the pectoral fin it

much more muscular, and nearly one-third broader
:

at once

see

consider that

the necessity for this greater power,

is

is
;

tail

in the
larger,

and we

when we

they serve to assist in almost constantly sus-

Scales
fish in the most rapid streams.
pending
of the Parr taken from the lateral line below the dorsal fin
this little

were altogether larger,

third, the furrowing

the length greater by nearly one-

more

delicate,

and the form of the canal

not so apparent or so strongly marked towards the basal end

of the scale.
is

still

The

greater delicacy of the bones in the Pan-

kept up very distinctly.

the posterior edge of the

The opcrculum forming

is much more rounded

gill- cover

than in the Trout, approaching in this respect to the Sal-

mon in the Trout the lower part is decidedly angular.

The interoperculum in the Parr is longer and narrower.
The maxillary bone is broader at the posterior corner, but
much shorter in the Parr the vomer is much weaker the
;

bones or rays of the gill-covers are longer and much narrower than those of the Trout.
The teeth of the Parr are
smaller ; the bone of the tongue
longer, weaker, and not so
broad; the under jaw much weaker, and the distance between the two sides of the under jaw in the Parr about one-

PARR.
third

These

less.

are

but every bone varies

which

specimens

47

the most

and not

in

conspicuous distinctions,

one only, but in the many

have lately examined, the distinctions

were the same, and at once to be perceived.

have no

therefore,

in

hesitation

In

this state,

Parr

the

considering

not only distinct, but one of the best and most constantly

marked

we have, and that it ought

the Salmo salmulus of Ray." *

species

systems as

By

to remain in our

the kindness of various friends, I have received Parrs

from several

rivers

on the

east, south,

and west shores

and

from close comparative examination of specimens from distant localities, and these with the young of others of the

Salmonid<,

I believe the

Parr to be a distinct

The

fish.

largest
eight inches, and was sent
to me by Dr. George Johnston, with several others not more
than five inches long, from the Tweed, and taken in the
I

month

possess measures

The

of July.

full

representations which

subject were taken from

these

specimens.

illustrate

The

this

smallest

Parr I have preserved measures but three inches and one

quarter, and was sent me with others nearly double the size

by

Sir

William Jardine, Bart.

from the Annan.

of Pennant,

not

these were taken in

summer

have also received Parrs, the Skirling

in length, from

exceeding four inches

Glamorganshire and from the Kibble, in June, as well as

from other

An

localities

between the Tweed and the Annan.

opinion prevails that the Parrs are hybrids, and

them males.

all

of

Dr. Heysham, at different times and seasons,

opened and examined three hundred and ninety-five Parrs,

or Samlets, as they are called at Carlisle, and found one

hundred and ninety-nine males, and one hundred and ninetysix females.

am

indebted to J. C. Heysham, Esq. for

* Sir William
Jardine, Bart. Edinburgh

January 1835.

New

Philosophical Journal for

48

SALMONID.E.

a specimen measuring seven inches in length, having both

lobes of roe in a forward state

no such accumulation,

venture to say, will be found in the young of the Salmon,

Bull-Trout, or Salmon-Trout, when only seven inches long.

The specimen

just referred to was taken in

the middle of

Mr. Heysham, among other communications on

February.
the subject of fishes, sent me word he had seen a female
taken in March, in which the ova were very large: and tin-

W.

Rev.

F. Cornish, of Totness

Dart, where

this fish is called the

cimen of a female, also taken

were very large
thought

The

it

three

much

possible

so

specimens

larger,

he

small

last

of late breeders, and Dr.

period

in

Devonshire,

than he could have

said,
fish

could have matured.

examples

Heysham's view of the breeding

:

the Parr being, as that

gentleman considered, a migratory species, deposits

in the

on the

Heppar, preserved a speMarch, in which the ova

mentioned might bo

probably the correct one

is

in

its

spawn

depth of winter, like the other migratory species of

the same genus.

The Skegger of the Thames is the Parr or Samlet.

Laleham, between Staines and Chertsey, where the water
is

shallow,

and even
fly-fisher

formerly afforded the greatest

quantity ; forty
dozen have been taken in one day by a skilful
but the numerous gas and other manufactories

fifty
;

on the banks of the river are considered so

greatly to have
affected the
quality of the water, that a
in

the

Thames

is

now but

Salmon

rarely seen.

or a Skegger

It was

customary
permit fishing for Skeggers only, before the usual period
for
angling in the Thames,* from the belief that these fish
to

were migratory and their return uncertain.

*

Angling in the Thames, within the conservancy of the Lord Mayor of

London, which extends to Staines Bridge, is
prohibited during the months of
March, April, and May, under a penalty, and with loss of rod and line.

PARR.

The

length of the head

one to

as

as

is,

length of the head, body, and

49
whole

the

body of greater girth than that of the

when of the same length the pectoral
of great breadth and length, nearly as long as the head
five

the

young of the Salmon

fin

to

compared

including the caudal rays,

tail,

the base of the last ray of the dorsal fin exactly

half-way

between the point of the nose and the end of the upper half
of the

tail

the base of the dorsal fin considerably shorter

than the third ray of that

second dorsal or fleshy

fin,

which

the longest

is

the

half-way between the origin of

the first ray of the dorsal fin and the end of the
upper half
of the tail, and in a line over the origin of the last
ray of
the anal fin

the

of the Trout

tail

fin

much more

deeply forked,

so than that

the lower jaw shorter than the upper

the

teeth small, placed in five lines on the upper inner surface

of the

mouth

two or three small hooked teeth on the supetongue on each side towards the

rior lateral portion of the

tip,

and a row of small teeth on each

the eye large,

its

D. 13

The
derived

under jaw

The

P. 14

fin-rays in

V. 9

A. 9

diameter from the

its

number
C. 19

are

Vertebra; 60.

following description of the colours of the Parr

from Dr.

diameter one-fourth of the length of the

head, and placed at the distance of

point of the nose,

side of the

Heyshanafs

paper already quoted,

specimens being affected by immersion in

is

my

spirits.

" Head
Gill-covers tinged with a
green and ash colour.
variable green and purple, and marked with a round dark-

some specimens there are two of these

Back and sides, down to the lateral
spots on each gill-cover.
line, dusky and marked with numerous dark-coloured spots.
coloured spot

Belly white.
to

in

Along the

lateral line there are

thirty bright vermilion spots.

The

sides

from sixteen
are

marked

SALMONID.E.

50

Dorsal

with nine or ten oval bars of a dusky bluish colour.

fin

with a few dusky spots

to yellow."

The number

line twenty-two,

In

its

below

it

colour of the lower fins inclining

of scales in a row above the lateral

nineteen.

feeding, the Parr

is

voracious

examined were distended with

several

beetles of various sizes,

the stomachs of

the larvse of water-

Dytiscid*.

would be very desirable to discontinue the use of all

the names bestowed upon this fish except those of Parr and
Samlet
the terms Brandling, Fingerling, Skirling, GraIt

velling,
fined,

Laspring, Sparling, &c. not being sufficiently de-

but referring cither

to

some quality

or habit observed

in other species.

The

Gravelling of the river

zine of Natural History for

as figured in the

January 1835,

the Salmon, but with a greater

usually seen them.

Taw,

number of

is

the

Magayoung of

spots than I have

COMMON TROUT.

51

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYG1L

SALMONJDJE.

THE COMMON TROUT.

Salmofario, LINNAEUS.
River-Trout,
Trout,

,,

Common

,,

Trout,

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 399,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 85.
FLEM. Brit. An. p. 181, sp. 47.

THE COMMON TROUT

generally

known

localities

necessary

to
:

is

too widely

is

and too

diffused

make any enumeration

it

pi. 70.

of particular

an inhabitant of most

of the

and lakes of Great Britain, and so closely identified

with the pursuits and gratifications of sportsmen, that those
rivers

landed proprietors who possess streams of water favourable

to the production

great care

and

and growth of Trout preserve them with

a voracious feeder, and

to

the

The

at considerable expense.

experienced

thus

angler,

affording
is

so

Trout, though

excellent

vigilant,

diversion

cautious,

and

active, that great skill as well as patience are required to

ensure success.

During the day, the

larger sized fish

move

little from their accustomed haunts ; but towards evening

and during the night they rove in search of small fish,

but

and their various

insects,

eagerness.

sporting on

the day

upon which they feed with

larvae,

The young Trout

may he

fry

shallow

the

stream, where the want of

scon throughout

of the

scours

gravelly

depth of water, or the

sufficient

greater caution of larger and older fish, prevent their appearance.

Though
also

is

vigilant

bold and

and cautious

active.

the Trout

in the extreme,

Pike and a Trout put into a

confined place together had several battles for a particular

spot, but the

The
the

Trout was eventually the master.

season of spawning with the Trout

month of October,

make

their

which

at

in

generally in

adult

the

period

fish

and the under jaw of the

a smaller degree the elongation and

way up the stream

old male exhibits

is

curvature observed to obtain in the male Salmon, of which

an instance will be shown.

The Trout
localities

so

varies considerably in appearance in different

much

several species exist.

so, as to

It

is,

have induced the belief that

indeed,

probable that more

than one species of river Trout may exist in this country ;

but when we consider geologically the various strata traversed

by

rivers

in their course,

the effect these variations

must produce upon the water, and the influence

which the constant operation of the water is likely to produce upon the fish that inhabit it ;
when we reflect also
of

soil

on the great variety and quality of the food afforded by

different rivers,

depending also on

additional effect which these

degrees are likely to produce;

prised

at

are found

the
to

variations

occur.

soil

and

situation,

combined causes

both

we
in

shall
size

not be

and

much

colour

That two Trout of very

appearance and quality should be found within

locality in the

same lake or

river, is

and the

in their various

sur-

which

different

limited

not so easily explained

COMMON TROUT.

53

and close examination of the various parts which afford

the most permanent characters should be resorted to, with
a view

to

determine whether the subject ought to be con-

sidered only as a variety, or entitled

to

rank as a species.

In these examinations the character of the internal organs

also, and the number of the bones forming the vertebral co-

lumn, should be ascertained.

Salmo fario,

in

The normal number

Common

our

of vertebrae

believe

Trout,

to

be

fifty-six.

Sir

William Jardine, Bart,

published in
for

the

in a paper

Edinburgh

New

on the Salmonida,

Philosophical

Journal

January 1835, has described at considerable length the

variations observed in

Sutherlandshire.
reddish,

some of the lochs of

the Trout of

Other lochs abound with Trout which are

dark, or silvery, according to the clearness of the

Mr. Neill, in his Tour, has noticed the blackmoss Trout of Loch Knitching, and Loch Katrine is said
water.

to

abound

also with small black

Trout

an

effect considered

be produced in some waters by receiving the drainings

of boggy moors.
In streams that flow rapidly over gravelly
to

or rocky bottoms,

the Trout are generally remarkable for

the brilliancy and beauty of their spots and colours.

are finest in appearance
till

Trout

and flavour from the end of

towards the end of September;

an

May

effect

produced by
the greater quantity and variety of nutritious food obtained
during that period.

Two

specimens of the

Common

Trout

taken early in January were unusually fine in colour for

that season of the year ; their stomachs on examination

were distended with ova of large

stances attending the

to be the roe of the Bull-Trout.

of this
of,

sort

size,

which, from circum-

capture of the Trout,

were known

The albuminous

nature

of food, which the Trout availed themselves

was believed to be the cause of their colour

since other

54

SALMONID.E.

Trout, procured at the same time from localities where DO

such food could be obtained, were of the usual dark colour
of that season of the year.

Mr. Stoddart,

" Art of
Angling

in his

as practised in Scot-

land," mentions an interesting experiment made with Trout,

some years ago

south of England, in order to ascertain

in the

" Fish were

placed in three
was
one
of
which
tanks,
separate
supplied daily with worms,
another with live minnows, and the third with those small
the value of different food.

dark-coloured water-flies

about on

the

The Trout

worms grew

fed with

appearance
observed,
larger
in

those

nourished on

to

found

be

and

moving

sheltered

minnows,

which,

they darted at with great voracity, became

time prodigious dimensions,

places.

and had a lean

slowly,

while such as were fattened upon

a short

much

which are

under banks

surface

flies

it

was

much

only, attained

weighing twice as

both the others together, although the quantity of

food swallowed by them was in nowise so great."
as

Of

four

weighed

Trout

fifteen

fed

in

'

stew together, three of them

pounds each, the fourth attained the weight

but neither the food nor the time

of seventeen pounds

consumed was recorded.

Stephen Oliver the younger, in his agreeable Scenes and
Recollections of Fly-fishing, mentions a Trout " taken in
the neighbourhood of Great Driffield, in
September 1832,
which measured thirty-one inches in length, twenty-one in
girth,

and weighed seventeen pounds." A few years since,

Liimean Society of a Trout that was

a notice was sent to the

caught on the llth of January 1822, in a

feet wide,

branching from the Avon,

little

at the

stream, ten

back of Castle-

On being taken out of the water, its

Salisbury.
was
found
to be twenty-five pounds.
Mrs. Powell,
weight

street,

COMMON TROUT.

55

bottom of whose garden the fish was first discovered,

placed it in a pond, where it was fed and lived four months,
but had decreased in weight at the time of its death to
at the

twenty-one pounds and a quarter.

The age to which Trout may arrive has not been ascertained.

Mr. Oliver mentions, that

in

August 1809,

"

Trout died which had been for twenty-eight years an inhaIt had never
bitant of the well at Dumbarton Castle.
its being put in, when
and had become so tame, that

increased in size from the time of

it

weighed about a pound

it

would receive

its

August 1826,

In

food from the hands of the soldiers."

the Westmoreland Advertiser

contained a

paragraph stating that a Trout had lived fifty-three years

in a well in the orchard of Mr. William Mossop, of Board
Hall, near Broughton-in-Furness.

The Thames
size.

large

at various

Among

places produces

the best localities

may

opposite the public-house called the Angler,

ton,

Court bridge and wear, and the wears

Chertsey.

These large Trout

London

to some of the best

at

mode

deceive

to

practised

anglers,

who

these

and Trout of

fifteen

unite a degree

The most
fish

usual
is

by
Gudgeon, or Min-

experienced

trolling or spinning with a small Bleak,

;

Hampton-

Shepperton and

are objects of great attraction

of skill and patience rarely to be exceeded.

now

Trout of very

be named Kings-

pounds' weight are occasionally

taken.

On

the

21st of

male Trout of

The

March

in

the present

year,

1835, a

pounds' weight was caught in a net.

fish was thirty inches.
On the 14th of

fifteen

length of this

April following, a male Trout of eleven pounds' weight,

and measuring
caught in

a net.

twenty-eight

From

this

inches

second

in
fish

length,

was also

the representation

SALMON!

56

D.F.

here shown was taken, by permission of

Mr. Groves, who

allowed a drawing to be made, which was engraved for this

work.

Some deep
excellent
I

have before

me

Thames above Oxford

the

in

pools

and some

Trout,

them

of

a record of six, taken

of very large

by minnow

afford
size.

spinning,

which weighed together fifty-four pounds, the largest of

them thirteen pounds. Few persons are aware of the difof taking a Trout

ficulty

when

this

size

man

is

it

has attained twelve or

it

fourteen pounds weight, and

is

very seldom

hooked and landed except by a

such a

when

fish,

in

good condition,

that one

of

first-rate fisheris

considered a

present worthy a place at a royal table.

Among

in

performances

may be mentioned,

as

Montagu.
" Mr.
Popham, of

moderate

size

Littlecot,

fish

mon.

fishery.

in

of the late Colonel

county of Wilts,
They were confined to
the

of a river by grating, so

could not escape.

fattening these fish

and

MS.

found in the

was famous for a Trout

a certain portion

Trout catching, the following

much

To

that fish of a

the preserving and

trouble and expense were devoted,

of seven and eight pounds' weight were not uncom-

gentleman

at

Lackham,

in the

same county, had

;i

COMMON TROUT.

favourite water-spaniel that was

for

killing

reprieved

the

all

to

suffer

death

Carp in his master's ponds, but was

the desire of Mr.

at

condemned

Popham, who took charge

of him, in the belief that so shy and so swift a fish as a

Trout was not to be caught by a dog.

in this

However,

for the dog soon convinced him that his

Mr. Stoddart also,
Trout were not a match for him.'

he was mistaken,

'

largest

in his Scottish

Angling, page 119, has recorded the propen-

of a fish-catching dog.

sities

am

indebted to William Thompson, Esq. of Belfast,

very fine specimen of the Gillaroo Trout of

for a

Neagh, measuring twenty-two inches

fish

the

representation

on

this

in length,

page was

Lough

from which

The

taken.

internal surface of the stomach presented an indurated cuticle,

Trout

but the parietes were not thicker than those of other

the cavity was filled with some dozens of the Palu;

The

dina impura of Lamarck.

D. 12

So

little

P. 14

V. 9

fin-rays

A. 11.

difference appeared to

and

C. 19.

exist

vertebrae were

Vertebra? 56.

between

this

and

English specimens of S. fario, as to induce the belief that

is
only a variety of the
Pennant.
by
VOL. II.

the Gillaroo

Common

Trout, as

stated

SALMONID.E.

58

Several loughs in Ireland produce this

which some-

fish,

The

times attains the weight of ten or twelve pounds.

are remarkably small, but in

of

iS.

number and

teeth

situation like those

far io.

The

Trout

figure of the

head of

at the

this article,

and

the following description, were taken from a Hampshire fish

of twelve inches in length.

The length of the head compared to the length of the

head and body, not including the caudal rays, was as one
to four

the depth of the

of the head

body rather more than the length

commenced half-way between

the dorsal fin

the point of the nose and the

caudal rays
longest,

adipose
dorsal

commencement

the third ray of the dorsal

longer than the base of the fin

fin
fin

half-way

between

fin,
:

pectoral

the

ventral

fin

fins

of

two-thirds

which

is

the

the

the origin of the

commencement of

the

and the end of the upper

the

of the upper

half of the

of the

length

under the middle of the dorsal

the
tail

head

fin,

and

half-way between the origin of the pectoral fin and the

end of the base of the anal fin
the anal fin begins
;

half-way between the origin of the ventral

mencement of the

inferior caudal rays.

forked, and growing slowly up

very slightly convex, as

Thames Trout.
D. 14

The form

The
P. 14

seen

and the com-

tail

the

in

A. 11

of the head blunt

figure

number

C. 19.

of the

with a tinge of pink

nidfB appears to be the

longest

but

it

large

are
Vertebra 56.

the eye large, placed one

diameter and a half from the end of the nose

silvery,

but slightly

to square in old fish, or even

fin-rays in

V. 9

fin

The

the irides

the lower jaw in the Salmo-

when the mouth

shuts within the upper

jaw

when the mouth

is
is

opened,
closed

the teeth numerous,

strong, and curving inwards, extending

COMMON TROUT.
along the whole length of th

vomer

59
the disposition of the

and the form of the gill-cover shown in outline at

the convexity of the dorsal and ventral outline
;

teeth

page 3

nearly similar

the sides

the colour of the back and upper part of

made up of numerous dark reddish brown

a yellow brown ground

spots on

eleven or twelve bright red spots

along the lateral line, with a few other red spots above and

below the line

belly

the lower part of the sides golden yellow

and under

surface silvery white

liable to great variation in

fin

and

tail light

the adipose fin

brown

number,

and colour

dorsal

the pectoral, ventral, and

anal fins uniform pale orange brown.

in a

the spots on

brown, with numerous darker brown spots ;

brown, frequently with one or two darker

and edged with red

spots,

size,

the sides

row above and underneath the

The number

lateral line

of scales

about twenty-

five.

Deformed Trout
as occurring in

nant, Oliver,

not

are

uncommon

some of the lakes of Wales

and Hansard.

" In
1829,"

mention of them
is

made by Pen-

says the writer of

the article on Angling in the seventh edition of the

clopaedia Britannica,

Ency-

" we received some

very singular Trouts

from a small loch called Lochdow, near Pitmain, in InverTheir heads were short and round, and their upper
jaws were truncated, like that of a bull-dog.
They do not
ness-shire.

occur in any of the neighbouring lochs, and have not been

observed beyond the weight of half a pound."

from Lochdow was presented

to the Museum of the Zoological Society

by the Honour-

able Twiselton Fiennes

vignette

is

the

representation

of the head of that specimen.

Such a Trout

SALMOXID.E.

60

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYG1I.

SALMONTDM.

THE GREAT GREY TROUT.

THE GREAT LAKE TROUT.
JARDINE and

Salmoferox,
,,

lacustris,

SET. BY.

Lake Trout, NERKENHOUT'S Syn.

THE GREAT LAKE TROUT

attention has lately been

editions

Lake

in

was

1795, vol.

i.

Loch Awe,

p. 79, sp. 3.

to

which

drawn by the various notices that

have appeared in print of the

of the locality,

of

edit.

fish,

as well as of the beauties

shortly noticed

by Pennant,

in

the

of the British Zoology, as a native of Ullswater

Cumberland, and of Lough Neagh in Ireland, and

was considered to be identical with the Great Trout of the

Lake of Geneva.

Berkenhout includes

this

fish

in

his

Synopsis of the Natural History of Great Britain and Ireland, as

quoted above.

Dr.

Heysham

records

it

in

his

Catalogue of Cumberland Animals as the Ullswater Trout

and Grey Trout, some specimens of which were said to

weigh between fifty and sixty pounds and the Rev. Mr.
;

GREAT GREY TROUT.

Low,

Fauna

in his

61

Orcadensis, mentions a Trout of thirty-

pounds weight or more, which, besides the Common

Mr. William
Trout, occurs both there and in Shetland.
six

of Belfast,

Thompson

when

at the

meeting of the British

Association at Edinburgh in 1834, saw a specimen of the

Great Trout of Loch Awe, and recognised

with the Great Trout, or Buddagh, of

as

it

identical

Lough Neagh.

Two

about thirty-five inches each in

of large

size,
examples
length, were lately exhibited at the Zoological Society by
Mr. Thompson.* These were obtained from Lough Neagh,

where the younger and smaller sized

of this species are

fish

called Dolachans.

According to Sir William Jardine, this fish, as

be traced, seems to have been first noticed about
years

since

the

by

late

far as can

forty-five

Mr. Morrison of Glasgow, who

used to exhibit them to his friends as the trophies of his

expeditions.

The

Mr. Selby and

Sir

first

specimens taken in Loch

Awe by

William Jardine were considered

species undescribed and new to Britain

as

and the name of

Salmo ferox was given to it, from its extreme voracity

and rapacious habits. M. Agassi z, who saw specimens of
this fish when he was in Edinburgh, pronounced it to be
different

from any of the large Continental species.

this fish appears to be generally distributed

" In Scotland
in all the larger

Loch Awe, Loch Laglochs.

Loch Shin, Lochs Loyal and Assynt,

and deeper

gan, the upper end of

they certainly inhabit, roving indiscriminately, and feeding

almost entirely upon the smaller

fish.

By

persons residing

on the banks they are taken by night-lines, few rising at the

artificial
fly ; but they may always be taken by strong trolling tackle, baited with a small Trout.
voracious, and having seized the

bait,

They
they

are extremely

will

allow them-

* See the
Report of the Proceedings of the Society for June 9th, 1835.

SALMON1DJ.

2
selves to be

dragged by the teeth for forty or

and when accidentally

freed,

will

fifty

yards

immediately again seize

it."

This Great Trout

is

almost entirely confined to the lochs,

up or down any of the streams

communicating with them, and never descending to the sea.
It is known to spawn in September.

seldom venturing

The most
Trout
water

is

far either

of fishing

from a boat, which

is

for

for this fish

is

hooks

the rod and line of great strength

of the same size, but not so active.

Young

indebted

Richardson

The

to

kindness

the

from one to
flies.

a drawing of this fish

of Mr.

Selby and

Dr.

length of the head

body, and

fish

Trout

freely to the usual

rise

For the opportunity of obtaining

am

Lake

considered to be even stronger than a Salmon

two pounds' weight

Great

this

rowed gently through the

the bait, as before mentioned, a small Trout, guarded

six or eight large

by

mode

usual

is

to the

whole length of head,

one to four and a half; the depth of the

not
to
the length of the head
the teeth large,
body
equal
strong, and numerous, occupying five lines above and four
tail, as

below, thus extending along the length of the vomer

free edge of the
gill-cover
lar

below in the males

and the

rounded

in the female,

with the operculum oblique.

dorsal fin

is

the third dorsal fin-ray, which

is

first

upper caudal

the longest, equal to

the length of the base of the dorsal fin

half-way between the

The

half-way between the

point of the nose and the origin of the

;

the

the inferior edge of the suboperculum

line of its junction

commencement of the

ray

more angu-

last dorsal
fin-ray

the soft fleshy fin

and the end of the

caudal rays, and in a line over the

origin of the last ray of
fin
the ventral fins each with an
elongated axillary
scale; the fins rather small in size, but
very muscular.

the anal

CHEAT GREY TROUT.

The

fin-rays in

number

63

Awe

specimen from Loch

in this

were
D. 13

The

P. 14

V. 9

A. 11

specimens examined from

ray less in

more

C. 19.

Lough Neagh had one

the dorsal, pectoral, and anal

For an

in the caudal fin.

and one ray

fins,

excellent account of this

see the article Angling in the seventh edition of the

Encyclopedia Britannica, from which I derive the following
description of the colours of this species, which was probably
fish,

taken from a recent specimen.

"

When

handsome

season and full-grown,

in perfect

fish,

though the head

it

is

a very

always too large and long

is

to be in accordance with our ideas of

perfect

symmetry in a
Trout.
The colours are deep purplish brown on the upper
parts, changing into reddish grey, and thence into fine orange
yellow on the breast and belly.

The whole body, when

the

caught, appears as if glazed over with a thin

fish

is

tint

of rich lake colour, which fades away as the fish dies,

and

so

newly

rapidly, that the progressive changes of colour are

easily perceived

marked with

by an

with markings of different

tered, and of a large

size

in others

distant from each

neath the lateral

The

are

part of the fish

ventral,

The lower

line.

dorsal fin
it is

is

is

and

surrounded by a paler
;

and the spots

other as they descend beparts of these fish are spot-

of the same colour with the upper

marked with large dark spots

and anal

scat-

they are thickly set,

which sometimes assumes a reddish hue

become more

toral,

Each spot

of smaller dimensions.

less.

gill-covers

; and the whole body is covered

sizes, and varying in number in

In some these markings are few,

different individuals.

ring,

The

attentive eye.

large dark spots

fins

the pec-

are of a rich yellowish green

colour, darker towards their extremities.

The

tail is

remark-

64

SALMON1D.E.

able for

breadth and consequent power.

its

perfectly square,

rounded

or

even be

might

at its extremity

in the

In adults

described
it is

young

as

it is

slightly

slightly forked,

and appears to fill up gradually as the fish advances in age."

" The flavour of this
lacustrine
is coarse and
species

great

The

indifferent.

colour of the flesh

Pennant

indifferent fish.

fine

states

most always found gorged with

opportunity of ascertaining the

The form

of the scale

the Trout, and more

ing species
delicate

The

orange yellow, not

Common

Trout in good
from experience that it is but an
The stomach is very capacious, and is al-

the rich salmon-colour of a

season."

is

is

fish.

number of

have not had an

vertebra?.

decidedly different from that of

circular than those of

they are

thin,

flexible,

any of the migratand covered with a

membrane.
vignette below represents three states of the angler's

May-fly.

NORTHERN CHARR.
ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYG11.

SALMON1D&.

THE NORTHERN CHARR.

Salmo umbla,
,,

,,
,,

LINNAEUS. BLOCH, pt. iii. pi. 101.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 305.
PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.
alpinus, Charr,
,,
Alpine Salmon, DON. Brit. Zool. pi. 61.
,,

,,

Case C/tarr,

M. AGASSIZ, when
autumn of 1834, had

FLEM.

in

Brit.

the

several

An.

p. 411, pi. 71.

p. 180, sp. 43.

North of England
opportunities

in the

of examining

the Charr of the Northern lakes, which he declared to be

Ombre Chevalier of the Lake of Geneva

" Remarks on the different
species of the genus

identical with the

and

in his

Salmo which frequent the

various rivers and lakes

of

Eu-

rope," read at the meeting of the British Association at

Edinburgh, that gentleman considered the S. umbla, alpinus,

and salmarinus of Linnaeus as different states

salvelinus,

only of the same fish.*

Examples of the Charr of the Northern lakes of England

* See the
Reports of the Fourth Meeting of the British Association, p. 617
to

623.

SALMONID.E.

66

Ombre
M. J urine's paper on the fishes of Lake Leman,
Geneva. The Charr of the lakes of Wales is, however, dis-

agree exactly with the description and figure of the

Chevalier in

from that of the Northern lakes, as

tinct

comparison of the description of

it

will

be seen by a

that will follow the pre-

sent subject.

The Northern Charr

inhabits

many

of the lakes of

Cum-

berland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, which are annually

visited by the admirers of fine scenery.
Keswick, Crummock Water, Buttermcre, Winandermere, and Coniston arc
among the localities best known to produce this delicate fish.

It occurs

several

in

of the lochs of Scotland, and also in

Lough Esk, Egish, Neagh, Dan, Luggelaw, and probably

many other loughs in various counties of Ireland.

The Charr generally inhabit the deepest parts

of those

lakes in which they are found, and afford but little amuse-

ment

to the angler.

them

for

minnow
feet

is

The most

for a bait, with a large bullet of lead

above the bait, to sink

mode

mode

successful

a few

of fishing

to trail a very long line after a boat,

may

it

using a

two or three

deep in the water.

By

this

be caught in the beginning of summer, at

which time they are in the height of perfection, both as to

colour and flavour.
The flyfisher when whipping for Trout,
which frequently abound in the same lakes, occasionally
takes a Charr
but this does not happen often
they are
:

believed to feed principally during the night.

of those I have

examined were empty

The stomachs

but Sir William

Jardine has found abundance of minute Entomostraca in the

stomachs of some of those examined by him.

The forms of
two species of these very minute animals will be represented

when

describing the Vendace.

The Charr
the streams

known to wander into any of

which
these
lakes
are either supplied or
by
are very seldom

NORTHERN CHARR.

67
V

drained, except at the season of spawning, and their decided

for

partiality

and a hard bottom

clear water

Winandermere has two

conspicuous.

is

then very

principal feeders, the

rivers Rothay and Brathay

the Rothay has a sandy bottom,
but the channel of the Brathay is rocky.
These streams
unite at the western corner of the head of the lake, below
:

Clappers-gate, at a place called the Three-foot-brander, and

after a

short

The

course boldly enter the lake together.

season

is

November and December

in

spawning
which time the Charr in shoals make their

about

way up both

these rivers, but invariably, before depositing their spawn,

those fish which have ascended over the sandy bed of the

Rothay return and

thay.*

up the rocky channel of the Brafew Charr also spawn in the lake ; and it is
pass

observed that they frequent the stony parts only which re-

semble the bottom of the Brathay.

Charr, even at the same season of the year, exhibit considerable difference in colour, which has been attributed to
different causes.

M.

Jurine,

when

umbla of the Lake of Geneva, which

doubt

is

identical with our

Salmo

describing the

fish there is little or

no

Northern Charr, says the females

in a communication to

Mr. Mascall,

are the finest in colour.

the Magazine of Natural History for April 1835, states that

he found the males of the Charr of Ennerdale Lake in Cumber-

land superior to the females in colour. It

the degree of colour

upon

may

depend, not so

is

not improbable that

much upon the

the constitutional vigour of the individual fish

sex, as

cir-

cumstance observed in the periodical assumption of peculiar

In reference to these variations in
tints in other animals.
the intensity of the colours, several distinctions have been

supposed

to exist in the

Charr of the Northern lakes, and

the names of Case Charr, Gilt Charr, Red Charr, and Silver
*

The Trout,

in their

spawning season, prefer the Rothay.

SALMOXID.E.

68

Charr have been applied to them

states

Pennant, however,

that, after the closest examination, he was unable to discover

specific difference.

any

The most common

of our Northern Charr

size

nine to twelve inches in length

to attain the length of two feet

is

from

they are said occasionally

the largest specimen in

The

possession measures eighteen inches.

finest

my

coloured

specimen I ever saw was brought me by my friends T. B.

Giles and W. C. Hewitson, from Coniston Water, in the

month

of

They

May.

are considered to be in the greatest

from July to October.

The length of the head compared to the length of the
head and body is as one to five ; the depth of the body

perfection as food

greater than the length of the head

the dorsal fin

is

the adipose fin

fin

commencement

the

the posterior edge of the base of the adipose

half-way between the origin of the last dorsal fin-ray and

the end of the longest caudal ray

the longest dorsal fin-ray

but one-fourth longer than the base of that

fin

of

half-way between the point of the nose and

small

point of the nose and the

rays

fin

the pectoral

the ventral fins originate half-way between the

commencement of the under caudal

the ventral axillary scale nearly half as long as the fin

the anal fin small, the longest ray but

base of the fin

the

tail

little

deeply forked, the longest rays more

than as long again as those in the centre

small comparative
D. 13

The

size.

P. 12

longer than the

The

V. 9

A. 11

diameter of the eye

length of the whole head ; it

is
is

all

number

fin-rays in

the fins of
are

Vertebras 59.

C. 19.

than one-fourth of the

less

placed at the distance of one

diameter from the point of the nose

the teeth small

on the anterior part only of the vomer

above and four rows below, as usual

a few

the other four rows

in

the fishes of this

NORTHERN
The

genus.

peculiarities in the

HARR.

69

form and

size of the
parts

of the gill-cover are shown in the representation of the heads

of the two Charr introduced in the description of the next
fish

the branchiostegous rays vary from ten to twelve,

number on the two

frequently differ in
the same

The

and

head of

fish.

top of the head and

umber brown

all

the upper parts of the back

the sides lighter

pectoral, ventral,
first

sides of the

and anal

fins,

the whole of the belly,

deep reddish orange

ray of the ventral and anal fins white

and below the

the

marked with numerous red spots ;

dorsal and
gill-covers yellowish olive

lateral line

the irides orange

caudal fins dark brown, tinged with purple brown

line straight,

the sides above

the lateral

but rising gradually from the parallel of the

point of the pectoral

scales very small,

fin

to the top of the

more than

the base of the dorsal

fin to

thirty in

operculum ; the
an oblique line from

the lateral line, and as

many

from the ventral axillary scale upwards to the lateral line.

In this state as to colour, this fish is considered to be the
S. salvelinus of Continental authors.

When

not in fine condition as to colour, the top of the

head and along the back are pale purplish brown, becoming
lighter lower

down

pale orange

above the

the sides silvery

the belly tinged with

lateral line are

numerous small round

and gill-covers silvery, with a tinge of

and anal fins, brownish red ; dorsal
ventral,
yellow pectoral,
fin brown ; caudal fin purple brown.

white spots

irides

In

this state, as to colour, this fish

is

considered to be the

S. alpinus of Continental authors, Bloch excepted, whose

S. alpinus, part

iii.

plate 104, appears to be a Trout.

SALMON!

70

I) F..

ABDOMINAL
SALMONIDJE.

MALACOPTERYGI1.

THE WELSH CHARR.

Salvelian Charr,

Sutmosalcelimts,

Torgoch, FI.I.M.

,,

THE CHARR
Donovan,
the

name

in

of

DON.

Brit. Fish. pi. 112.

An.

15rit.

p. 183, sp. 43.

Wales was described and

figured

by Mr.

Natural History of British Fishes, under

Salmo salvelinus ; and he ap-

his

of Salvelian Charr,

pears to have considered

it

from the Charr of the

distinct

Northern lakes of England, which is also described and

Pennant included
figured under the name of S. alpinus.
his notice of the

Charr

Welsh Charr under

that of the Northern

but examination of a specimen of each

fish

side

by

side will convince the observer that they are perfectly dis-

The Northern Charr

tinct.

bodied

Charr

fish,

is

with

a short

very large fins

fins

is

an elegantly-shaped slender-

of small comparative size.

The Welsh

fish, considerably deeper for its length, with

it

has also in

of an adult Parr of the

its

form

Tweed, and

much

of the character

carries for a

the same sort of dusky lateral markings, but

is

long time

immediately

WELSH CHARR.

71

distinguished from that species

by having only a few teeth

of the vomer :* but the teeth, the

on the most anterior part

gape, and the eye are much larger in the Welsh Charr than
The outlines of the heads introduced
in that from the North.
as a vignette

show these

distinctions

the great difference in

the size of the eye of the two species

is

an obvious character,

operculum and suboperculum of the one compared with the same parts in the other

and the form and

are additional

relative size of the

distinguishing features.

Fauna

the third part of the

fishes,

devoted to

has figured the forms of the gill-covers and teeth of

several species of

Salmo.

the head and teeth of a

which

Dr. Richardson, in

B or eali- Americana,

Plate 92,

fig. 5, A, B, represent
Welsh Charr from Llyn Cawellyn,

evidently of the same species as the

is

fish

here de-

scribed, derived from another locality.

The Welsh Charr

is

the Torgoch or Red-belly of Wales,

and was formerly to be taken either in Llanberris Lake, or in

Llyn Cawellyn, two deep lakes situated on the east and west

The waters from a neighbouring copperhave

mine are said to
destroyed or driven out the Charr from
Llanberris, where they were formerly very numerous ; and
sides of

it

Snowden.

was remarked that some of these

sea, at the

mouths of

rivers

on

fish

were caught in the

this coast, after they disap-

peared from the lake.

" is a vast lake of

Llyn Cawellyn,' says Mr. Donovan,
unknown depth, sheltered on one side by an abrupt mountain, which rises immediately out of the water, and in the
"

deep recesses at the base of which the Torgoch is supposed

to pass the milder seasons of the year in perfect security.

These fish approach the shallower parts of the lake in winter,

about the middle of December, appearing in small troops at
*

The

teeth in the Parr extend along the

whole length of the vomer.

SALMONIDE.

72

a short distance from the shores, ami are at this season taken

some plenty by a poor cottager who resides in the vicinity

lake, and derives a small annual profit from the

in

of the
fishery

this

in

delicious fish being

much

request for the

tables of the neighbouring gentry."

I
for

am

indebted to the kindness of the Rev. F.

Welsh Charr from

specimens of the

mouth

in

Merionethshire, unnoticed by Mr. Donovan, but

The

recorded by Willughby.

piece of water

the lake of the fruitful marsh.*

y-gedawl

identical with

tainly

W. Hope

a locality near Bar-

is

called Coss-

This

fish is cer-

of Llyn Cawellyn, and distinct

that

from the Charr of the Northern lakes of England.

I have
not seen specimens of the Charr of the various lakes of
Scotland or Ireland, but have here endeavoured to furnish

The name bestowed by Mr.

the means of identifying them.

Donovan

is

retained,

can be ascertained
that this species

The

is

till

the Continental name, if

I have,

it

has one,

however, some reason to believe

unknown on

the Continent.

length of the head compared to the length of the

head and body

is

as one

to four

equal to the length of the head

dorsal fin

is

fin

dorsal fin

the depth of the body

commencement

of the

half-way between the point of the nose and the

origin of the

adipose

the

the posterior edge of the

upper caudal rays
is
half-way between the commencement of the
;

and the end of the longest upper caudal ray

the

longest dorsal fin-ray as long again as the base of that fin

the pectoral fin large

the ventral

fin

originates half-way

between the posterior edge of the orbit of the

eye and the
end of the fleshy portion of the tail ; ventral
scale
axillary

small, not one-third the length of the fin

* The
meaning of this term

which
geddor

it is
;

derived

means

is

said to be questionable
or profit.
By

gift, relief,

by others, Cors-y-gedol.

the longest anal

:

the primitive from

Willughby

it is

spelt

Casa-

WELSH CHARR.

73

fin-ray one-third longer than the base of the anal

fin

the

;
longest rays but oneall the
third longer than those in the middle of the tail

very deeply forked

tail

not

fins

of large

the

The

size.

comparative

number

fin-rays in

are

D. 12

P. 11

V. 8

A. 11

C. 19.

Vertebrae 62.

The eye large, placed less than the breadth of its diameter from the point of the nose ; the breadth of the
orbit more than one-fourth of the whole length of the head
:

the teeth large

those on the vomer occupying the most

anterior part only

the other eight rows as usual

the form

of the different parts of the gill-cover are shown in the figures

of the head.

The

top of the head, and the whole of the upper part

of the

back,

brown

dark

below the

lateral

green

the

sides

and passing by a golden tinge

pervades the whole of the belly

orange, which

reddish

a deep

to

line,

blackish

or

lighter, approaching to olive,

the lateral line straight,

but ascending rather abruptly to the

upper edge of the

operculum when within half an inch of that part ; above

the lateral line a few small round yellowish white spots

upon and below the

line are

numerous red spots

exhibit traces across the lateral line of the

common
hazel

to

young
cheeks and

and caudal

fins

fishes

gill-covers light

brown

reddish orange, like the

these

fins

of the genus

yellowish

the
belly

white.

the

This

first
is

irides

pectoral, dorsal,

and anal

ventral
:

dusky patches

Salmo: the

olive

the sides

ray

the

which I have seen the Charr from Wales,

fins

dark

of each

of

only state in

but

it

most

likely does not retain these brilliant colours throughout the

The

year.

largest

specimen did not exceed seven inches in

length.

VOL.

II.

Ci

SALMONID.E.

74

This species has been called a Red-bellied Trout ; but

name is far from applicable, as the Trout have a

the latter

formidable row of teeth along the whole line of the vomer,

and the

The
the

tail at all

ages

much

less forked.

vignette represents the heads of two Charr

left

Northern

is

from Keswick,

fish

the

other

has the mouth, teeth, and

paratively than those of the

difference in the form

that on

The

from Wales.

eyes smaller com-

Welsh Charr

and proportions of the

there

is

also a

gill-cover.

THE SMELT.

75

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYG1L

SALMONID&.

THE SMELT.
SPIRLING AND SPARLING.

Osmertis eperlanus,

Smelt,

FLEM.

Brit.

An.

p. 181, sp. 48.

CUVIER, Regne An.

WlLLUGHBY,
WILLUGHBY,

Eperlanus Rondeletii,
,,

Schonfeldii,

LINNKUS.

Salmo eperlanus,

PENN.

DON.

p.

Scotland.

t. ii.

p. 305.

202.

tab.

N.

BLOCK,

6, fig. 4.

pt.

Brit. Zool. vol.

i.

iii.

pi. 28. 2.

p.

416,

pi.

72.

Brit. Fish. pi. 48.

Generic Characters.

Body elongated, covered with small scales two dorsal

with rays, the second fleshy, without rays ; ventral fins in a vertical
line under the commencement of the first dorsal fin
teeth on the jaws and
:

fins, the first

tongue very long, two distinct rows on each palatine bone, none on the vomer
except at the most anterior part ; branchiostegous rays 8.

THE SMELT,

as a British fish, appears to

be almost ex-

clusively confined to the eastern and western coasts of Great

Britain.

am

not aware of any good authority for the

appearance of the true Smelt between Dover and the Land's

End.*

The

fish

called

Smelt and Sandsmelt along the

* Mr.
Salter, in his Angler's Guide, page 169, says he has caught very fine
Smelts by angling in Portsmouth harbour ; but there is very little doubt that the
Sandsmelt, or Atherine, which is there abundant, is the fish alluded to.

G 2

SALMONID.E.

76

extended line of our southern coast

Athc-

in reality tlic

volume i. page
but the Atherine, though furnished with two dorsal

as stated in the account of that fish,

rine,

214

is

and otherwise something like the Smelt, is immediately

the
distinguished from it by the numerous rays supporting
second dorsal fin which fin in the true Smelt is without any
fins,

rays whatever, like the adipose

Salmo

On

fin

of the species of the genus

last described.

the eastern side of our island, the Smelt occurs in the

Tay, in the Frith of Forth, in the Ure on the Yorkshire

it is taken in abundance in the Humbcr, and on
;

coast

the Lincolnshire coast

On

the western

Firth, and

side,

in the

Thames, and the Medway.

the Smelt

may be traced as

far

is

taken in the Solway

south as the parallel line

formed by the Mersey, the Dee, the Conway, and Dublin

Bay.

The Smelt

inhabits

fresh water from

August

to

May.

After spawning in March or the beginning of April, they

The ova are small and yellowish in
return to the sea.

The

colour.

fry are

found about three inches long, swim-

ming near the surface in shoals in the rivers in the

August, ascending and descending with the
adult fish are again visiting the fresh water.

small

fish,

Fleming

with crustaceous

tide,

month of
when the

Their food

and testaceous animals

in the
says, the principal food of the Smelt

is

Dr.

Tay

is

the shrimp.

Two modes

of fishing for Smelts are in practice

one

on the sandy shallow shores of the sea, on the eastern coast,

particularly Lincolnshire, where large quantities are taken
in spring

the other

is

the river-fishing within the tide-way.

The excellence of the Smelts of the Medway is well known.

The Thames and Medway fishing with small-meshed nets
for

Smelts

is

permitted, under the jurisdiction of the Lord

SMELT.

77

of London, from the 28th of August (St.

Augustine)
the
Thames
from
WandsGood-Friday.
Formerly,
worth to Putney-bridge, and from thence upwards to the

Mayor

till

situation of the present suspension-bridge at

Hammersmith,

produced abundance of Smelts, and from thirty to forty

boats might then be seen working together ; but very few
are now to be taken, the state of the water, it is believed,
preventing the

it

fish

The particuadvancing so high up.

of this fish is well known ; and

cucumber-like smell

lar

is

very considerably more powerful

when they

are

first

taken out of the water.

The Smelt
and peculiar

is

generally in great request from

cumstance of the

to retain

plete

it

advantage.

delicate

or seven

cir-

months of the

has induced two or three experiments

in ponds,

success,

passing six

fish

year in fresh water,

its

This quality, coupled with the

flavour.

one of which was attended with com-

and the attempts might be multiplied with

Colonel Meynell, of

Yarm

in Yorkshire,

kept
Smelts for four years in a fresh-water pond having no communication with the sea
they continued to thrive, and
:

propagated abundantly.
as

ing,

They were not

affected

by

freez-

the whole pond, which covered about three acres,

was so frozen over as to admit of skating.

When the pond
was drawn, the fishermen of the Tees considered that they
had never seen a finer lot of Smelts. There was no loss of
flavour or quality.

From

the point of the lower jaw to the end of the gill-

cover, the length

to three

the head

is,

as

compared to the body alone,

as

one

the depth of the body not equal to the length of

the dorsal fin commences half-way between the

point of the nose and the end of the fleshy portion of the
tail

the

first

ray of this fin less than half the length of

the second, which

is

as long as the third

the second and

SALMONID.E.

78

third are the longest rays in the fin, nearly as high as the

body of the
the

fin

deep, and as long again as the base of

fish is

the two

first

rays simple, all the others branched

the anterior edge of the adipose fin

is

half-way between the

base of the last ray of the dorsal

fin

and the end of the

fleshy portion of the

middle of the anal

the ventral fins
fin

tail,

fin

and

in

pectoral

long and

fins

commence on the same plane

the base of the anal

fin

long,

between the origin of the ventral

fleshy portion of the tail

the

fins

narrow

as the dorsal

commencing half-way
and the end of the

the third ray the longest, but not

so long as the base of the fin

length gradually

a vertical line over the

the other rays diminish in

The

slender and deeply forked.

tail

fin-rays are

D. 11

The

lower jaw

deeper than wide

P. 11

much

V. 8

A. 15

C. 19.

longer than the upper;

the gape

the teeth long, and curving inwards

those

on the anterior parts of the tongue and palatine bones are the
the breadth of the eye about one-fifth of the whole
longest
:

length of the head, the irides silvery white

triangular

the upper part of the head

back rising

flat

the gill-cover

the nape and

the form of the body elongated and slender

the dorsal and abdominal lines

slightly convex : the colour
of the upper part of the
body pale ash green ; all the lower
cheeks, and

parts,

scales oval, small,

white

gill-covers,

and deciduous

brilliant silvery white

:

all

the

the fins pale yellowish

the ends of the caudal

rays tipped with black.

The specimen

described measured seven inches in length.

Occasionally Smelts

may be

seen in the

London markets

ten

and eleven inches long, but this is an

unusually large size.
Pennant mentions having seen one that was thirteen inches
long, and weighed eight ounces.

GRAYLING.

79

ABDOMINAL

SALMON IDA.

MALACOPTERYGI1.

THE GRAYLING.
Thymallus vulgaris,

CUVIER, Regne An.

WILLUGHBY,
Salmo thymallus,

LINN&US.

p. 187,

BLOCH,

t. ii.

N.
pt.

p.

306.

8.

i.

pi.

Grayling, PENN. Brit. Zool.

,,

DON. Brit. Fish.

FLEM. Brit. An.

Coregonus
Generic Characters.

24.
vol.

pi.

iii.

p. 414, pi. 72.

88.

p. 181, sp. 49.

Head and body elongated ; the sides marked with lonfirst much
longer than high, with numerous

gitudinal bands; two dorsal fins, the

rays

square

the second small, adipose, without rays

;

the teeth very small

THE GRAYLING,
is

yet a very local

Trout in

its

the

mouth small, the

orifice

branchiostegous rays 7 or 8.

though abundant in some

fish.

Similar in

many

streams,

respects

to the

habits and wants, there are numbers of rivers

In
abounding with Trout that do not produce Grayling.
the southern counties of Hampshire and Wiltshire, the
is

Grayling

found in the Test and both the Avons.

Herefordshire, in the
Irvon.

Dove, the Lug, the

In Shropshire, in the

Staffordshire, in the

Teme and

Wye,
the

In

and the

Clun.

In

Hodder, the Trent, the Dove, and the

SALMONID.E.

80

In Derbyshire, in the Dove.

Wye.
in the

In

the

Ribble.

the

Wharfe, and the

Heysham
the

In

Dee, between Curwen and Bala.

Esk

either in
this fish

Ure,

Wiske, near Northallerton.

Dr.

occasionally taken

is

Ireland or Scotland

Fauna

in his

plentiful in

local

the

in

am

Orcadensis, and

distribution

to the supposition that

the

aware,

Mr. Low, however, includes

Norway, and

Sweden,

liarity of the

Eden and

It is not found, that I

Cumberland.

in

Derwent, the

the

in

Yorkshire,

it

says

in

Merionethshire,

In Lancashire,

fish

known

is

Lapland.
this

in

G ray ling

introduced by the monks, as a

it

to

The

br

pecurise

country gave

had been originally

worth cultivating

many

of the rivers containing the Grayling being near the remains

of great monasteries.
tion

it

the Continent to
rivers of

But two circumstances

would be very
this

difficult to

country

affect this solu-

bring this fish alive

and

it

is

not found

from

in

the

Kent, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, or Cornwall, where

monastic establishments were formerly numerous.

The Grayling

thrives best in rivers with rocky or gravelly

bottoms, and seems to require an alternation of stream and

According to Sir Humphrey Davy, who has given a

"
Salmonia," this fish was
good history of the Grayling in his
introduced into the Test, in Hampshire, from the Avon ;
pool.

and the former

river,

the better of the two.

in particular parts, appears to suit it

Large Grayling

are,

however, occa-

sionally taken in both these waters, which are particularly

resorted

to

by the southern

anglers.

Three Graylings,

weighing together twelve pounds, were caught by

ling of four

and a

Gray-

pounds' weight has been killed

in the

Avon, near Ilingwood.

1

luilf

Test, and one of five pounds

near Shrewsbury.

Thomas

Lister Parker, Esq. in the

is

recorded to have been caught

GRAYLING.

However

fastidious

in

81

the quality of the water or

choice of situation in the stream the Grayling

is

the

known

to

be, experiment has proved that this fish will live in

ponds
such as have

that have been newly made in hard soil, or in

been very recently and carefully cleaned out ; but
situations the Grayling does not breed, and they

continue
fish are

to

live in old

numerous,

large,

muddy

will not

ova of this

and of a deep orange colour

season is in April, or the

spawning

The

ponds.

in these

beginning of

May

the

in this

respect differing from the other Salmonidee, most, if not

all,

of which spawn towards the end of the year, and generally

in

The

cold weather.

Grayling, however,

condition in October and

is

in the finest

November, when Trout

are out of

season, not having then recovered the effects of their recent

spawning, while the young Grayling of that year are about

seven inches in length.

The

food of the Grayling, as ascertained by examination,

besides the various

used by anglers,

Ephemera and

imitations of which are successfully

flies

consists also of the larvae of

Libellula

Phryganea

the remains of the cases of the

former, and the tough skins of all of them, being frequently

found in their stomachs. I have found also several small
shells,
tilis.

examples of the genus Physa, and Neritina JluviaDead shells and small pebbles are also found ; but

whether these
useful purpose,
or have

last

as

are taken
in

up by the

fish

to serve

any

the stomachs of gallinaceous birds,

only formed part of the cases of the Phryganea,

may be questioned.
Some English authors have
migratory

fish,

considered the Grayling a

passing the winter in the sea, and the sum-

"

1 ''

Early in spring, says Mr. Donovan,

they ascend the rivers, where they remain till autumn,

mer
"

in fresh water.

SALMONID.E.
and then return
to Grayling on
is

parts of the European continent,* but

not the case certainly with our

rivers

This may apply

to their former element."

some

of which

it

country, in the

fish in this

found in the most perfect condition,

is

and in consequence most eagerly sought

The finest specimens
and November.

H. Davy

after,

in

October

saw were

ever

" Salmo-

taken in

November

nia," he

had proved that the Grayling of England would

and

Sir

states in his

not bear even a brackish water without dying.

The term Thymallus

is

said to

have been bestowed upon

on account of the peculiar odour it emits when fresh

is said to resemble that of
thyme ;

this fish

from the water, which

and from
is

agreeable colour as well as smell, St.

its

Ambrose

recorded to have called the Grayling the flower of

To

be eaten in perfection,

The name Grayling

it

fishes.

cannot be dressed too soon.

supposed to be a modification of the

words gray-lines, in reference to the dusky longitudinal bars
is

along the body.

It has

been considered that the large dorsal fin of the

it to rise and sink
rapidly in deep pools ;

Grayling enabled

but

this

power would rather seem to be afforded by the

large size of the swimming-bladder.

fin,

compared

The

very large dorsal

to the small size of all the other fins, renders

the Grayling unable to stem rapid currents

more prone
leaping at a

to

go down stream than up, and

fall,

like

they are

much

are never seen

Trout.

In a Grayling of ten inches long, the length of the head

body alone as one to four ; the depth of the body
rather more than equal to the length of the head
from the

is

to the

point of the nose to the

commencement of

equal to one-third of the length of the

of the fleshy portion of the

tail

* Bloch
says the Grayling descends

whole

the dorsal fin

fish to the

is

end

the posterior edge of the

to the Baltic in

autumn.

GRAYLING.

83

dorsal fin half-way between the point of the nose

and the

end of the longest caudal rays

the adipose fin rather nearer
the dorsal fin than the end of the tail
the height of the
;

equal to half the height of the body,

dorsal fin

the next

ray short,

five

increasing

gradually

in

the

first

length

the sixth ray nearly as long as the seventh, and, as well

and simple

as the five anterior rays, articulated

ray and

the rays behind

all

nearly of the same height

it

the seventh

and

articulated, branched,

the length of the base of the fin

not equal to twice the length of

fin small,

narrow, and pointed

its

longest ray

the pectoral

the ventral fins commencing

in a vertical line under the middle of the dorsal fin

the

ventral axillary scale one-fourth of the length of the fin

the anal fin commences half-way between the origin of the

ventral fin and the end of the fleshy portion of the

ends on the same plane as the adipose

longest ray but
tail

forked

little

fin

tail,

above

longer than the base of the

and

it

the

fin

the

the middle rays rather more than half as long as

The

the longest.
D. 20

fin-rays in

P. 15

V. 10

number
A. 13

are

C. 20.

Vertebrae 58.

The head is small and pointed, flattened at the top the

breadth of the eye equal to one-fourth of the length of the
:

whole head

irides

golden yellow, pupil blue, pear-shaped,

when

the apex directed forward

viewed in front, square

the teeth small, incurved, numer-

ous

the opening of the mouth,

none on the tongue, and only a few on the most

vomer behind the head, the nape and

anterior part of the

back

rise

suddenly

of the dorsal

fin,

but slightly convex

commencement

the body deepest at the

then tapering off to the

;

tail

the scales rather large

abdominal line
the lateral line

middle of the body not very conspicuous, with seven

rows of scales on an oblique line above it, and seven rows

in the

84

SALMON 1D..

below

it

the sides marked with about fifteen dusky longi-

tudinal bands.

The

general colour of the

body

light yellow

with golden, copper, green, and

brown, beautifully
blue reflections when viewed in different lights, with a few
varied

decided dark spots

head brown

the'

gill-covers a tinge of blue

the colour of the body

all

on the checks and

the fins somewhat darker than

the dorsal

fin

varied with

square

dusky spots on the membrane between the rays, the upper

part of the fin spotted and streaked with reddish brown

The

Grayling appears to become darker by age,

pectoral

fins

are reddish about

and the

spawning time, with small

black spots.

The
anglers.

vignette represents two

states of the

Stone-fly of

GWYNIAD.

85

ABDOMINAL
SALMONID&.

MALACOPTERYGII.

THE GWYNIAD.
SCHELLY.
Coregonus fera

,,

Salmo

CUVIEH, Regne An.

,,

NILSSON, Prod.

,,

JURINE,

,,

lavaretus,

Coregonus

,,

POWAN.

Cumberland.
t. ii.

p.

Perthshire.

307.

p. 16, sp. 4.

pi. 7.

Gwyniad, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 419,

FLEM. Brit An. p. 182, sp. 50.
,,

Generic Characters.

Body

in

appearance herring-like

pi.

with two dorsal

higher than long, the second adipose ; the scales large

small, sometimes with minute teeth on the jaws or tongue, or both.
the

first

THE

species

Europe, and

of the genus Coregonus are

several of

them

73.

the

fins,

mouth

numerous

in

are so similar to each other, that,

without the power of comparing those of this country with

foreign specimens, an appropriation of

doubtful.

of

Some

Lochmaben

as the

Pollan of Ireland
;

is

at least

authors have even considered the Vendisse

same with the Powan of Perthshire,

the Schelly of Cumberland, the

case

synonymes

but

it

will

Gwyniad

of Wales, and the

be found that

and, from recent observation, there

is

this is

now

not the

reason to

SALMON

86

]>.E.

believe that the Pollan of Ireland

species of

Coregonus found

in

from the two

distinct

is

Great Britain.

Wales was formerly very numerous in

Llyn Tegid, (Fair Lake,) at Bala, until the year 1803, when

The Gwyniad

of

Pike were put into the lake, which have very much reduced
Pennant considered the Gwyniad as the
their numbers.

same with the C. fera of the Lake of Geneva, following in

this the opinion of Willughby ; and in the manuscript notes of
a fishing tour in

Wales, by two excellent fishermen, who had

amusement abroad, an opinion is given to

also pursued their

Our Gwyniad

the same effect.

to

bears a close

in the illustrations to

the figure of C. /era

the Fishes of

The

Lake Leman

Memoir on
not seen.

resemblance

M.

Jurine^s

his description I

have

British fish accords also with the short de-

scription of the C.

fera

in

Professor Nilsson's Prodromus of

It also resembles the

the Fishes of Scandinavia.

manni of Bloch,

pt.

iii.

pi.

from his S. lavaretus, pt.

i.

105

but

is

which
pi. 25,

S. Wart-

decidedly distinct
is

the C. oxyrhin-

chus of Cuvier and Xilsson.

The Gwyniad
large lakes of
scales,

it is

torian of

is

very numerous

Ulswatcr and other

its

large

Dr. Heysham, the natural his-

called the Schelly.

Cumberland, and Pennant

logy, have recorded that

at

in

Cumberland, where, on account of

also, in his British

Zoo-

many hundreds are sometimes taken

They are gregarious, and

a single draught of the net.

approach the shore

Pennant

in

vast

shoals in

are taken out of

says, they die very soon after they

the water, are insipid in taste, and

they

will

and even

spring and summer.

not keep long.

call

The

must be eaten soon,

poorer

classes,

who

for

consider,

them the Fresh-water Herring, preserve them

with salt.
The fish is not unlike a Herring in appearance,
and the Welsh term Gwyniad has reference to their silvery
white colour.
They spawn towards the end of the year,

GWYNIAD.

87

and the most usual length of the adult

fish is

from ten to

twelve inches.

The

length of the head

length of the fish

is

about one-fifth of the whole

the depth of the body rather exceeding

the length of the head

the dorsal

fin

commences about

way between the point of the nose and

portion of the

base of the

body

tail

its

to three-fourths of the depth of the

rather nearer the end of the tail than

fin

the posterior edge of the dorsal fin

pointed, and a

little

the end of the fleshy

longest ray one-third longer than the

and equal

fin,

the adipose

half-

the pectoral fins narrow,

shorter than the head, inserted low

down

on the body
the ventral fins arising in a line under the
middle of the dorsal fin ; the ventral axillary scale one-third
:

the length of the fin

the anal fin commences half-way be-

tween the origin of the ventral fin and the end of the short
middle rays of the tail, and ends on the same plane with the
adipose

fin

the longest anterior ray about equal to the length

of the base of the fin

the

tail

D. 13

The head

is

the other rays diminishing gradually

The

forked.

P. 17

triangular

number

fin-rays in
:

V. 11

A. 16

C. 19.

the snout rather truncated

nearly equal, the lower just shutting within the upper

few minute teeth on the tongue only

are

the jaws
;

a very

the eyes large, the

breadth more than one-fourth of the length of the head

the

form of the body very like that of a Herring ; the dorsal and
abdominal lines but moderately convex ; the scales large ; the
lateral

line

very near the middle of the side.

The

irides

the upper part of the head and

;
back dusky blue, becoming lighter down the sides, with a

silvery, the pupils dark blue

tinge of yellow

and belly

cheeks, gill-covers, lower part of the sides

silvery white

all

the fins more or less tinged with

dusky blue, particularly towards the edges.

88

SALMONIDJE.

According to Mr. Thompson of Belfast,* the Pollan, or

Lough Neagh Coregonus, differs from the Gwyniad of Bala
in the following particulars

in the snout not being

in the dorsal fin being nearer the head

in the anal fin,

and

from the

in the dorsal, anal,

less

tail

dimensions

longest, the

and

first

in its position

produced

in having fewer rays

being rather more distant

and caudal

fins

in the third ray of the pectoral fin

being of

being the

being of the greatest length in the Gwyniad;

in the ventral axillary scale being longer.

The numbers

of the fin-rays in the Pollan are

D. 14

P. 16

V. 12

A. 13

In the stomach of a Pollan

species of

The

C. 19.

Vertebra 59.

found one example of a

Gammarus.

vignette

is

a view of Whitewcll,

in

the

Forest of

Rowland, Yorkshire.
*

Reports of Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

for

1835, p. 77.

VENDACK.

89

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYG11.

SALMOXIDM.

THE VENDACE, OR VENDIS.

Vendace, JAKDINE.
Vangis and Juvangis, PF.NN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 420.
Vendace, KNOX, Trans. R. S. E. vol. xii.p. 503.

Coregonus Willughbii,

BUT

little is

known

of this delicate fish beyond what has

been published by Sir William Jardine, Bart, in the third

volume of the Edinburgh Journal of Natural and Geographical

Science, and

by Dr. Knox,

Royal Society of Edinburgh.

in the Transactions of the

Sir

William Jardine,

in

his

original communication, considered this species very closely

allied to the

Salmo albula

of Linnseus

but the

difficulty of

from the short descriptions of

the older authors has since led to a request from him that
fixing

the

synonymes

name of our

attached to

The

it,

satisfactorily

distinguished British naturalist should be

and

with pleasure adopt the suggestion.

localities inhabited

as limited as

shown to be

by

extensive.

The Vendace

lochs in the neighbourhood of

and

in this district

regarding

VOL.

this species

of Coregonus are

the range of the species last described was

some

is

only known in the

Lochmaben, in Dumfries-shire;
and curious opinions exist

traditions

it.

II.

SALMON1D.E.

90
" The Vendace

"

is

well

'
1

to almost every person

in

William Jardine,

says Sir

known,
the

neighbourhood

and

if,

the lower classes, fish should at any time form the

among

the

subject of conversation,

Vendace

is

immediately men-

and the loch regarded with pride as possessing someof

thing
great curiosity to visiters, and which is thought not
tioned,

elsewhere to exist.
lochs

these

mentioned

and

it

is

in

story that

by the unfortunate Mary Queen of Scots,

Pennant in his description of the Gwyniad,
still

have

attribute the circumstance to

establishments which at

as

derived from this

That the

in circulation.

duced from some Continental lake,

would rather
gious

was introduced into

it

likely that his information was

is

vicinity,

The

fish

was intro;

but

some of the

reli-

little

doubt

one time prevailed in the

neighbourhood, and which were well known to pay considerable attention both to the table and the cellar.
Mary would

from even her temporary residence

luxury of troublesome introduction,

scarcely prefer a lake so far

for the preservation of a

and leave her other fish-ponds destitute of such a delicacy."

" An idea
prevails that this fish, if once taken from the
water, will die, and that an immediate return will be of no
avail

and

it is

also believed that

it

will

not exist in any

other water except that of the castle loch.

These

are

of

course opinions which have

gradually, from different circumstances, gained
facts.

The

may have

weight, and have at last been received as

fish is

of extreme delicacy

given rise to the

first

notion

a circumstance which

and the introduction

must have taken place by means of the spawn the fish

themselves, I am confident, could not be transported alive
of

it

As to the second opinion, they are not

confined to the castle loch, but are found in several others,

even a few miles.

some of which have no communication with

are thought to be
peculiar."

that where they

VENDACE.
" In

habits

general

91

the Vendace

resemble

nearly

the

Gwyniad, and indeed most of the allied species of the genus.

They swim in large shoals ; and during warm and clear weather retire to the depth of the lakes, apparently sensible of

the increased temperature.

They

are

only taken with nets,

a proper bait not being yet discovered

excrement

little

is

and the

fact that

found in their intestines has given

rise to

another tradition, that they are able to subsist without food.

most successfully taken during a dull day and

sharp breeze, approaching near to the edges of the loch, and

They

are

swimming

in a direction contrary to the wind.

about the commencement

of

They spawn

November, and

at this time

congregate in large shoals, frequently rising to the surface of

the

water,

in

manner of the common Herring, and

noise by their rise and fall to and from the

the

making a

similar

surface.

The sound may be

distinctly heard,

tion of the shoal perceived, during a calm

They

are very productive.

The

of which they are a favourite food

lochs
;

and

and the

direc-

clear evening.

abound with Pike,

but their quantity seems

no degree to be diminished, notwithstanding that immense

numbers must be destroyed. They are considered a great
and
delicacy, resembling the Smelt a good deal in flavour ;
in

though certainly very palatable, the

heightened by

relish

may be somewhat

the difficulty of always procuring a supply.

During the summer, fishing-parties are frequent, introducing

some stranger friend to this Lochmaben whitebait ; and a
club, consisting of between twenty

and

thirty of the neigh-

bouring gentry, possessing a private net, &c.

in July, to enjoy the sport of fishing,

meet annually

and feasting upon

this

luxury."

The
made

circumstance that this fish

a knowledge of

points of view.

Dr.

its

is

never caught by anglers

food a matter of interest in several

Knox

ascertained that this consists

H 2

SALMONID.E.
principally of very minute entomostracous

ceeding seven-twelfths of a line in

size.

animals, not ex-

have been

fa-

voured with specimens of the Vendace by Sir William

Jardine and T. S. Bushnan, Esq. which have afforded me
several

stomach and

The

intestines.

of

contents

the

of examining

opportunities

contained mass, which

is

the
fre-

quently in considerable quantity, has a brownish yellow colour,

to

appearing slightly granulated

the unassisted eye.

very small portion being placed on a slip of glass, and

agitated gently in conjunction with a drop of water, which

separates the particles, on placing the slip of glass under a

good microscope, two species

in various states of perfection

are almost constantly found.

The

description
first

of this

vignette at the end of the

represents these two forms.

fish

and second figure on the

hand

left

are a back

The

and side

view of a species of the genus Lynceus of Muller and others ;

the third and fourth figures are a back and side view of a
species of Cyclops of Muller.

On

one occasion, I found a

very small coleopterous insect, the tough skin of a red

not

much

worm

thicker than fine thread, and what appeared to be

a portion of the wing of a dipterous insect.

Dr.

Knox found

more numerous

that the females

Vendace were

of the

as well as larger than the males, frequently

exceeding eight inches in length

more than seven

men here described.

The length of the head compared
was as two to seven

mencement of the
the length of the

the males not measuring

inches, which was the length of the speci-

to that of the

body only
com-

the depth of the body at the

dorsal fin not quite equal to one-fourth of

body without the caudal

rays

the body ele-

the convexity of the dorsal and abdominal lines

gantly shaped ;
about equal ; the

lateral line passes straight along the middle

of the side, with six rows of scales in an
oblique line between

VENDACE.

93

the dorsal fin and the lateral line, and the same

tween the

line

and the ventral

axillary scale

commences half-way between the nose and the

upper caudal rays
base of the

fin

the adipose

commences

fin

under the

in a line

ventral axillary scale

anal fin
tral

fin

longest

very near the

;

pectoral

fin

The

the

the

the

the

tail

fleshy portion of the tail

the fins large.

origin of the ven-

ray about equal to the base of the

all

tail

the ventral fin

ray of the dorsal

first

commences half-way between the

origin of the

one-third the length of the fin

and the end of the

deeply forked

fin

the longest ray double the length of the

not quite equal to the length of the head

fin

number be-

the dorsal

fin

fin-rays in

number

are

D. 11

P. 16

V. 11

In form the under jaw

the opening square

only

is

A. 15

C. 19.

the longest

Vertebrae 52.

the

mouth

small,

a few very minute teeth on the tongue

the breadth of the eye one-third of the whole head,

the posterior part of the

iris

the broadest

tinged with yellow, the pupil blue

body of a

the colour silvery

the upper parts of the

delicate greenish brown, shading gradually towards

the belly into a clear silver

the lower fins are

all

the dorsal

bluish white.

fin

greenish brown

SALMONID.E.

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

SALMONIDX.

THE ARGENTINE.
CUVIER, Regne An. t.
NILSSON, Prod. p. 20.

Scopelus Humboldtii,
borealis,

Serpes

Risso, Ich.

Humboldtii,

Scopelus

Argentina sphyr&na,

Argentine,
,,

,,

,,

Generic Characters.
interval

Body

scarcely perceptible

jaws

PENN.
FLEM.

38.

Brit. Zool. vol.

Brit.

long, slender

the head short

palate

f.

t. iii.

between the ventral and anal

teeth on both

p. 315.

358, tab. X.
p. 467.

p.

Hist.

,,

ii.

fins

the

An.

p.

iii.

p.

432,

76.

pi.

182.

the principal dorsal fin over the

fin, so small as to be

a second dorsal

mouth and

gill-aperture large

small

and tongue smooth.

PENNANT, and the Rev. Mr. Low of Orkney, appear to

be the only British observers who have met with, on our
coast, examples of this brilliant little fish, which Cuvier
considers to belong to the genus Scopelus, as here stated;

and other references are added, to

species should

it

again occur.

assist in

The

determining the

Scopelus Humboldtii,

if

identical with Pennant's Argentine, is taken to the north of

our island, and also in the Mediterranean, as the remarks of

Professor Nilsson and

M.

Risso imply

and the

latter natu-

enumerates three species of the genus, of which he

S.
Humboldtii is the best known, but that little is
says

ralist

ascertained of their habits.

ARGENTINE.
Pennant's specimen was taken in
in Flintshire

who

Mr. Low's

said he found

weed.

The

fish

at the

it

95
the sea near

Downing

was brought to him by a boy,

edge of the water among sea-

receipt of an additional portion of

MS.

recently

confided to

me by William

Walcott, Esq. furnishes a notice,

written

his late

of a third instance of the occur-

by

father,

rence of the Argentine, which was found stranded on the shore

near

Exmouth

"
description

is,

dusky green

the lower jaw

sloped

the eyes

much

the

the body compressed, and of an equal depth

almost to the anal

with silver

Pennant's

half.

Length two inches and a quarter

large, the irides silvery

teeth small

two inches and a

length

fin

the

forked

tail

the back was of a

the sides and covers of the

gills as if

plated

the lateral line was in the middle, and quite

on each side of the belly was a row of circular

punctures ; above them another, which ceased near the vent."
The formula of the fin-rays appears to be

straight

D. 9

The

figure

P. 17.

V. 8

A. 15

C. 19.

of this fish referred to in

represents the anal fin as containing

apparent in the figure

tation at the

head of

M.

many more

Risso's work
rays than are

by Pennant, from which the represen-

this article is copied.

CLUi'EUD.E.

96

ABDOMINAL

CLUPEW&.

MALACOPTERYGII.

THE PILCHARD.
GIPSEY HERRING.

Clupea pilchardus, BLOCK,

xii. pi.

pt.

WILLUOHBY,

406.

p. 223, tab. P.

,,

DON. Brit. Fish.

FLEM. Brit. An.

,,

pilcardus,

Generic Characters.

Body compressed

pi.

1.

fig.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 319.

Pilchard, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

,,

iii.p.

453,

pi. 79.

69.

p. 183, sp, 52.

scales large, thin,

and deciduous

wanting ; a single dorsal fin

forming a sharp keel-like edge, which in some species

head compressed
line

Scotland.

teeth minute, or

is

abdominal
serrated

branchiostegous rays 8.

THE
MS.

following account of the Pilchard

of Mr.

Couch, from whose various

ments, habits of observation

inferred that

The

and

is

locality,

older naturalists considered the

it

it

may

acquire-

be

fairly

no better authority could be quoted.

Pilchard, like the

Herring, as a visiter from a distant region

signed to

derived from the

scientific

also the
*

same place of

The

and they

as-

resort as that fish, with

family of the Herrings.

PILCHARD.

97

which indeed the Pilchard has been sometimes confounded.

To

this

it

will

be a

sufficient

reply,

that the Pilchard

is

never seen in the Northern Ocean, and the few that sometimes wander through the Straits of Dover, or the British

Channel, have evidently suffered from passing so

their

accustomed

limits.

They

and are seen on those of Spain

derable numbers,

or

with

out of

far

frequent the French coasts,

but on neither in consi-

much

regularity

so

that

the coast of Cornwall they are found through

few

On

confine themselves within such narrow bounds.

fishes

the seasons

all

of the year, and even there their habits vary in the different

In January, they keep near the bottom, and are

months.

chiefly seen in the stomachs of ravenous fishes

in

March,

they sometimes assemble in schulls, and thousands of hogsheads have in some years been taken in seans but this union
:

only partial, and not permanent and it is not until July

that they regularly and permanently congregate so as to be

is

sought after by the fishermen.

The

commences

in August, and continues

and stormy weather of the equinox
further prosecution impracticable ; but the fish

sean-fishery

until the shortened days

render

its

continue to appear, sometimes in great numbers, until the

conclusion of the year.
ing,

The

season and situation for spawn-

and the choice of food,

are

the

chief causes

influence the motions of the great bodies of these fish

which
;

and

probable that a thorough knowledge of these would

explain all the variations which have been noticed in the
it

is

actions of the Pilchard, in the

numerous unsuccessful seasons

In some years, at least, a considerable body

shed
of Pilchards
spawn in the month of May perhaps in
of the fishery.

the middle of the Channel, where I have

known them

heavy with roe, in drift-nets shot for Mackerel

certain

yet

it

taken,

seems

that they do not breed twice in the year, and that

CLUPEID/E.

98
the larger

and then

body do not perform this function

no great distance from the shore.

until October,

at

have known

an equally great variation to occur in other fishes, which have

in consequence visited us, and been in season, at a time not
expected by the fishermen.
feed with voracity on small crustaceous animals

They
and

sands of a minute species of shrimp, not larger than a

It

is

this,

that fishermen report

quietly at the

they have seen them lying in

bottom, examining with their mouths

the sand or small stones in shallow water.

of this food must be enormous,

was the case,

all

to swallow a

if,

The abundance

as there can

The

Pilchard has been

hook baited with a worm

that they devour the roe of fish

sided on the shores of the

Bay

for a

and

it

quantities of the

is

known

probable

gentleman who

of Biscay informed

the custom of the French fishermen to

attract Pilchards,

be no doubt

the schulls on the coast were as well fed as

the individuals I examined.

is

flea.

probably when they are in search of something like

myriads

it

have found their stomachs crammed each with thou-

me

re-

that

throw large

salted pea-roe of fish about their nets, to

and that he had seen much of

the stomachs of Pilchards so taken.

this

spawn

in

Large quantities of

the roe of fish are imported into France for this purpose from

northern nations.

When

near the coast, the assemblage of Pilchards as-

sumes the arrangement of a mighty army, with its wings

stretching parallel to the land ; and the whole is composed
of numberless smaller bodies, which are perpetually joining
together, shifting their position,
are three

stations

and separating again.

There

assumed by this great body, that have

on the success of the fishery. One

their separate influence

is

to the eastward of the

Lizard, the

reaching

to

the

Bay

most eastern extremity

of Bigbury in

Devonshire,

beyond

PILCHARD.
which no fishery

Dartmouth
and Land's

carried on, except that rarely

is

a second station

End

99
it

and the third

on the north coast of the

is

county, the chief station being about St. Ivee.

mon

for

one of these

neither of the others

be

districts to

is

extends to

included between the Lizard

is

of

full

a schull to be seen

It

station

to

or perhaps traverse in succession all the shores of

the county.

much

com-

but towards the

end of the season they often move from one

another,

is

while in

fish,

The

subordinate motions of the schulls are

by

the tide, against the current of which

regulated

they are rarely known to go

and the whole

will

sometimes

remain parallel to the coast for several weeks, at the distance

of a few leagues, and then, as if by general consent, will
advance close to the shore, sometimes without being discovered

till

when the

they have reached

tides are

principal opportunity

is

This usually happens

it.

and

strongest,

is

the period

when the

afforded for the prosecution of the

sean-fishery.

The
nets,

fishery for Pilchards is carried

and with scans.

The

outfit

on by
of the

drift or driving

which

former,

somewhat resembles that already described for Mackerel,

consists of a number of nets, great in proportion to the wealth
of the proprietor and the size of the boat, but

commonly

about twenty, each from eighteen to twenty fathoms long,

and seven fathoms deep ; so that a string of driving nets will

These nets are
sometimes reach three-quarters of a mile.
fastened to each other in length, and to a head-line, appropriated
line

to each, along which runs a

runs loosely along the

additional strength, but no lead

nets are carried in

common

row of corks

another

middle of the nets to afford

is

used at the bottom.

fishing-boats,

The

some of which,

as

Mount's Bay, are luggers, and most of the others with

the crews consist each of four men and a boy.
spritsails

at

100

CLUPEID.E.

The

fishery begins a little before

sunset, and the nets are

drawn in about two hours, to be again shot as morning

approaches
sons.

for Pilchards enter the nets better at these sea-

A rope

from one end of the string

the quarter of the boat, and the nets are

the tide, no

sails

fastened over

is

calm weather,

Within a few

folded together.

to prevent the nets being

to float with

left

being set, except rarely in very

an improvement has been made, derived, it would

appear, from the practice of the herring-fishers, by which
more fish have been taken, and much of the hazard obviated
years

to which the nets were exposed

It consists in diminishing the

by ships passing over them.

number and size of the corks

along the head-line, and in fixing cords at proper distances,

each of which has attached to
are from two to two

These cords

a stout buoy.

it

and a half fathoms long, and conse-

quently allow the upper edge of the nets to sink to that

depth below the surface

of

moderate

is

found that the

taken by a drift-boat in a night's

fish

fishing varies exceedingly

sidered

it

caught in the lower part of the net.

fish are principally

The number

but even now

it

from

five to ten

thousand

is

con-

amounts to twenty thousand.

about one hundred and fifty thou-

often

For

the season's fishing,

sand

fish

would be deemed favourable.

For the

sean-fishing, three boats are provided, of

two are about forty feet long, and ten wide

with flat timbers and a sharp bow.
The first
sean-boat,

and

is

at the
is

which

beam,

termed the

furnished with a scan two hundred and

twenty fathoms in length, and twelve fathoms deep, which

buoyed along the head-rope with

with leads.

The second

boat

is

corks,

is

and weighed down

a term

called the volyer,

This
supposed to be a corruption of the word, follower.
boat has a sean from one hundred to one hundred and
twenty fathoms in length, and eighteen fathoms deep at

its

PILCHARD.
deepest part, and
the

is

termed the tuck-sean

the

called

former,

101
:

it

as well in

stop-sean,

differs

from

shape as in

dimensions, the middle being formed into a hollow or bunt.

third boat, called a lurker,

The

has no sean.

men and one

less

is

than the others, and

crew attending a scan consists of eighteen

or two boys.

Seven of these are assigned to

each of the larger boats, and the remaining four, including

This fishery commences

the master seaner, to the lurker.

August, three weeks or a month after the drivers, whose

The three
success, or the want of it, has much influence.
in

boats proceed in the afternoon to some sandy bay, and cast

anchor, keeping a good look-out for the appearance offish,

which are discovered either by the rippling of the water, by

the stoiting or leaping of the

impart

fish,

or

In these respects,

to the sea.

by the colour they

marks of the

as

dif-

ference between the habits of the Herring and the Pilchard,

fishermen observe that the former rarely springs from the

water, or stoits,

as

is

it

called,

when alarmed

except

or

; but the Pilchard does this often, and

apparently from
wantonness.
When alarmed, both these fish will rush along

driven

the distance of five or six feet, as marked

but the

Pilchard

does

with more

this

by the briming

;*

celerity than the

Herring.

When

the presence of fish

is

discovered, the lurker pro-

ceeds to the place to ascertain the magnitude of the schull,

and the direction

in

which

it

is

moving.

The depth

of

water, clearness of ground from rocks and other obstructions,

and the

force

calculation

and direction of the

tide,

enter also into the

of the master before he makes the signal for

All the proceedings are directed by signs, for

are alarmed at noise, and when everything is favour-

preparation.

the fish

* The flash of
light seen in the sea when disturbed in the night, and supposed to proceed from minute molluscous or crustaceous animals.

CLUPEID.E.

warp from the end of the scan is handed to the volyer,

the lurker continuing on
whose place it is to keep all taut
the fish to watch their motions, and to point to the sean-

able, a

boat what

The

to be enclosed.

this great

body of

net, rope, corks,

curved line across the course of the

larger boats

are

rowed by

is

is

When

the scan

is

scan at

fish

thrown into
first

forms a

and while the two

in the opening, where,

water, the fish are kept

is

warping the ends together,

in

employed

the lurkers station

and lead

The

the sea in less than five minutes.

if

sean-boat

men, the other three being employed in throwing the

and such is the vigour exerted on this occasion, that

four

net

is

by dashing the

away from the only place of escape.

closed and the ends are laced together,

the body of the fish be great and the sea or tide strong,

the net

is

secured by heavy grapnels, which are attached to

the head-ropes
that
fish

it is

by hawsers.

than a single hogshead

with

the

greater

is

the

scan

unnecessary

the capture of the larger body

for as its

When

this

account

the only difference being, that

quantity

which with the smaller

that

from

It will appear

not more difficult to take a thousand hogsheads of

motion

is

slow, its course

is

is

is
:

regularly moored,

may even be

it

most

up the

fish.

For

this

it

on the inner side

is

it

is

and lays
then drawn

it,

together so as gradually to contract the limits of the fish,

raise

them from the bottom.

exceedingly agitated
their

numbers and

and

fear,

so

low,

purpose, leaving

the stop-sean as before, the volyer passes within

the tuck-sean round

not so speedily altered.

the evening has closed in, and the tide

they proceed to take

said

easily effected

and

When

disturbed, they become

great is the force derived from

that the utmost caution

the net should either sink or be burst.

When

is

used

lest

the tuck-sean

thus gradually
contracting and the boats surround it,
stones suspended from
ropes, called minnies, are repeatedly

is

PILCHARD.

103

plunged into the water at that part where escape alone is

practicable, until the fish then to be taken up are supported
hollow or bunt of the sean.

in the

When

brought to the surface, the voices of the

made by

lost in the noise

The

the fish as they beat the water.

quantity enclosed in the stop-scan

made

to enclose

a master seaner

is

When

no more than the boats can

which

carry, of

commonly forms a correct judgment by the

and many advantages

one time, for

move

in

it

from taking up only a portion

the whole can thus be salted in proper conresult

dition, without fatigue or extraordinary expense

thus a week

possibly elapse before the whole of the capture

cured, part being taken

The

the

large, the tuck-sean is

extent of the -briming in his sean, as the fish

may

are

seaners fix themselves in pairs on the gunwales of the

boats, with flaskets to lade the fish on board.

at

men

up every

is

se-

night.

description here given of the manner in which the

Pilchard fishery

is

conducted applies to the greater part of

the coast, but some variation occurs in particular districts.

In

Mounts Bay

fish are

the

men and

boats employed to take the

not the same that convey

it

to land

mode

of pro-

ceeding rendered necessary by the distance from shore at

which it is taken.
The fishery at St. Ives is regulated by
a particular act of parliament, and there alone huers* continue to be employed, which were formerly

where.

The

sean-fishery,

that carried on at St. Ives

is

common

every-

as practised formerly, resembled

;

and

in

one of Norden's maps

a representation of the taking of Pilchards

by means of a

sweep-net, of which one end continues near the shore, as

then employed in St. Austle's Bay.

The

capture was drawn

on shore in the mode now used with ground-seans

* Huers are

men

posted on elevated situations near the

made with a bunch of furze in each hand,

concerted signals,
how best to surround a schull of

fish.

sea,

for other

who by

various

direct the fishermen

104

CLUPEIDK.

and consequently none could be taken unless they approached near to an open beach ; and one end of a scan is
fish,

now termed

from the pole shod with lead

then used to elevate and spread the part to which the warp
was attached.
the pole end,

Old and experienced fishermen have

of long observation,

that, besides

stated as the result

the well-known fact

of

being most abundantly taken within a few days

after the spring-tides, the direction of the tide has great
the

fish

on the motions of the schull.

effect

Its progress is
always

towards the same point, and in drift-nets

the fish point in one way,

all-

the heads

In a bay where the tide comes round

the nets were afloat.

a headland and circles the bay, the fish take the

and a man aware of

cially

scan

this

may know

when the

is

in

same route,

what direction to

proceeding ; and as, espehe

must be careful that the
rapid,
not carried on the back of the schull, the net must be

and whither the schull

watch,

of

unless the tide has turned while

tide

is

is

so shot as to have the benefit of the tide, and yet be laid

across the front of the fish.

schull will not turn back di-

rectly contrary to its former course, although,

direction

its

may be

sea, drift-nets are

considerably changed.

commonly

when alarmed,
In the open

cast in the direction of the tide,

because the nets are most easily kept in that course

when near
is

in the

but

land, or the entrance of a bay, a favourite position

parallel to

advance or

it,

by which the
I

retreat.

fish are

intercepted in their

have seen drift-boats shoot their nets

midst of a multitude of

fish,

one in the direction in

which they were going, and another across their course, and
in less than two hours the second had taken nine thousand,
the other not a fish
first
is

plan.

The most

and yet the boats frequently prefer the

successful time for the drift-net fishery

during hazy nights, with some motion of the wave, for the

PILCHARD.
fish

105

then enter the nets freely, whereas in clear moonlight

they are shy

and

in very dark nights such

is

the brightness

of the brimirig, that the nets look like a wall of

deter the

As

an object of adventure, the Pilchard fishery

is

in Cornwall,

and beyond a doubt the community

benefited by

it

is

partial,

popular
greatly

frequently happens that the success

it

yet

is

and the price low

and

it

may be

questioned whe-

ther in any year the greater part of the scans obtain

than their expenses

monly

considerable,

the hope of being

The

and

fire,

fish.

but when there

and

among

a profit

is

in this lottery every one

it

is

is

more
com-

led

by

the fortunate.

is a statement,
perhaps nearly approaching
where absolute certainty is unattainable, of the

following

to the truth

amount of property engaged in the Pilchard fishery in the

Number
year 1827, when the bounty began to be withdrawn
:

of seans employed, 186

of scans, 316

2672

sea,

number

of

number of persons

affords direct

fishery

not employed, 130;

number of drift-boats, 368

board drift-boats, 1600

at

nets, 61,400/.

men employed on

total

10,521

boats, &c. used in the fishery, 209, 840/.

and

number

men employed on seans

on shore to whom the

employment, 6350

persons employed in the fishery,

total

cost

number of
of seans,

cost of drift-boats

cost of cellars for curing, and other es-

tablishments on shore for carrying on the fishery, 169,175/.;

total

capital

441, 215/.

invested

The

directly

outfit of a scan

in

Pilchard fishery,

the

amounts to about 800/.;

the net and the

a string of drift-nets will cost about

6/.

boat from 100Z. to 150/.

used throughout the

but

this is

The

nets are sup-

and ought, of

course, to pro-

year for the other purposes of fishing.

posed to last about six years,

duce their own value within that time,

adequate

VOL.

II.

profit

but

it

is

together with an

the complaint of the fishermen

I

106
that

tliis is

The

not the case.

the share of the

fish,

which

profit of the

men depends on

divided into eight parts, of

is

which the boat has one-eighth part, the nets three, and the
four
a boy that accompanies them is rewarded with the

men
fish

that

fall

may

secure which he

is

into

the sea as the nets are drawn, to

furnished with a bag-net at the end of a

rod, termed a keep-net.

The

quantity of Pilchards taken

now

sometimes incredibly

is

was present once at the

large.
taking of two thousand two hundred hogsheads of Pilchards
in one scan ; but the greatest number heard of as taken at
one time

fisherman

alive

by Borlase at three thousand hogsheads ;

which Pennant has made an astounding error,
reckoning by mistake thirty-five thousand fish to a hogsis

stated

in reference to
in

head, instead of three thousand five hundred.

since allowed

has been

thousand

hundred

to

five

thousand, and

three
fine fish

but

known where

is

it

An

say that they are not counted.

The number
now two
is

scarcely necessary

instance has been

ten thousand hogsheads have been taken on

shore in one port in a single day, thus providing the enor-

mous multitude of
drawn

at

The

twenty-five millions of living creatures

once from the ocean for

different

elsewhere.

The

human

modes of curing the

sustenance.

fresh fish are detailed

various ports on the northern shore of the

Mediterranean are the principal places to which the preserved

fish are

exported.

Our term Pilchard

a

name by which

is

this fish

ern Continental authors.

said to

be derived from Peltzer,

was known to some early North-

few Pilchards

make

their ap-

pearance occasionally in the Forth about October, generally

preceding the Herrings ; but the great shoals appear to

belong almost exclusively to our south-western shores.

are seldom seen east of

Bigbury Bay

They

but in August 1834

PILCHARD.

1Q7

a shoal of Pilchards were observed in Poole Harbour, and

so

many

fish

were taken that they were sold in the market at

a penny a dozen.

Smith's History of the County of Cork contains a full

and interesting account of the Pilchard fishery in Bantry

Bay.
They have been noticed also on the coast of the

On
county of Cork, and taken at Dublin and .Belfast.
our eastern coast, a few are taken every year at Yarmouth
with the Herrings.

They were more than

usually abundant

there in the years 1780, 1790, and 1799.

sometimes

Specimens of the Pilchard

inches in length
It

much resembles

The
five

the fish described measured nine inches.

the Herring, but

length of the head

;

measure eleven

the depth of the

is

to

is

smaller and thicker.

the whole length as one to

body equal

to the length of the head

the transverse thickness of the body equal to half

its

depth

head triangular, the upper surface flat;

the dorsal and abdominal lines slightly and equally conthe form of the

no perceptible lateral line ; the body across the back

the line of the abdomen smooth ; the
obtusely rounded
vex

edges of the scales of the two sides leaving a longitudinal

groove from the branchiostegous rays to the vent, along

which groove

extends a row of

scales of a peculiar shape, of

the woodcut here placed

presentation
lateral

which
a re-

is

the two long narrow

arms extending up each side

under the
jection

scales, the shortest pro-

pointing

scales of the

body

backward

the

are very large,

deciduous, and ciliated at the free

edge.

The

distance from the point of

108
the nose to the base of the last ray of the dorsal

fin,

and

from thence half-way along the caudal rays, nearly equal

commencement of

the

the dorsal fin

is

therefore anterior

by the whole length of the base

and second rays shorter than the third,

the middle of the fish

to

of the fin

first

base of the fin ; these

equal to the length of the
three rays articulated, but simple ; all the other rays

which
first

the

is

branched

mencing

scales

axillary

fin

commencing

the
half-

of the ventral fins and the end of

of the

tail

the

first

ray

short,

the

far

over the bases of the caudal rays, par-

last

ticularly two elongated

The

fin -rays in

D. 18

P. 16

The mouth
longest

fin

the scales

body extending

line.

anal

the

two rays the longest the tail deeply

at the end of the fleshy portion of the

second and the

forked

origin

portion

fleshy

the latter com-

fins small,

under the middle of the dorsal

very long

way between the

the

and ventral

pectoral

in a line

is

above and below the middle

scales

number
V. 8

are

A. 18

small, without

C. 19.

teeth,

Vertebra 55.

the under jaw the

the breadth of the eye one-fourth of the length

of the head, and placed at rather more than

its

own breadth

from the point of the nose

the irides yellowish white
the cheeks and all the parts of the gill-covers tinged with
golden yellow, and marked with various radiating striae
:

the posterior edge

straight

and belly

Couch

of the

operculum nearly

body bluish green the sides

Mr.
the dorsal fin and tail dusky.

the upper part of the

silvery white

says the

vertical

and

Pilchard

is

of spots on the side, like the

sometimes found with a row

Shad

which seems the result

of disease, these fish being small, soft, and unfit for curing.

PILCHARD.

As

109

an appropriate conclusion to this account of the Pil-

chard fishery of Cornwall, derived principally from the MS.

of Mr. Couch, the vignette at the bottom of the page is a
representation of the harbour of Polperro, near which

Couch has long resided

cording

my

obligations

and

I take this

Mr.

opportunity of

re-

to that gentleman, not only for his

great liberality in allowing

me

the unlimited use of his volu-

MS. of the Natural History of the Fishes which have

been found on the coasts and in the rivers of Cornwall, with
minous

an extensive

warm

series of characteristic

interest

during

its

AVhile

drawings, but also for the

and substantial support afforded to

this

work

progress.
this sheet

was going through the press, the London

newspapers noticed the appearance of numerous large shoals

of Pilchards on the south coast of Ireland, which the poor
fishermen were unable to take advantage of from the want of

proper nets and

salt.

110

CLUPElDvE.

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGU.

CLUPEIDJE.

THE HERRING.
Clupea harengus, LINN^US.

BLOCH,

WILI.UOHBY,
Herring,

p.

pt.

219,

RAY, Syn.

i.

pi.

pi.

P.

29.
1, fig. 2.

p. 103.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 317.

HerriTig, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.

FLEM.

Brit.

ANDERSON and Pennant

An.

p. 444, pi. 79.

p. 182, sp. 51.

were certainly mistaken in sup-

posing that the great winter rendezvous of the Herring

within the Arctic Circle
nant,

"

for

many months,

the fatigue of spawning

is

" there
they continue," says Penin order to recruit themselves after

the sea within that space swarming

with insect food, in a degree far greater than in our warmer

latitudes."

" This
mighty army begins
spring.

We

to put itself in motion in the

distinguish this vast

word Herring

is

derived from the

body by that name; for the

German Heer an army, to

express their numbers.

They begin

land Islands in April and

May.*

to appear off the Shet-

This

is

the

first

check this

* In
another part of his account, Pennant
says the Herrings continue on the
Welsh coast till Fehruary. (P. 447.)

HI

HERRING.
army meets with
into

two parts
takes

Great

Britain,
;

it is

one wing of those destined to

divided

visit

our

to the east, the other to the western shores of

coasts

numbers

Here

march southward.

in its

and

fill

bay and creek with

every

ancient

mart of

British

Channel, and

Those which take

Herrings

then pass

they

after

their

Yarmouth, the great and

others proceed towards

that

through the

manner

in

disappear.

offering themselves to

to the west, after

the Hebrides, where the great stationary fishery

is,

proceed

towards the north of Ireland, where they meet with a second

interruption, and are obliged

to

make

the one takes to the western side, and

a second
is

division

scarcely perceived,

being soon lost in the immensity of the Atlantic; but the

other, which passes into the Irish Sea, rejoices

and feeds the

inhabitants of most of the coasts that border on

brigades, as

we may

call

them,

it.

These

which are thus separated

from the greater columns, are often capricious in their motions, and do not show an invariable attachment to their
haunts."

This

is

To show

Pennant's account as
that

this

it

regards our

it is

only necessary to state,

that the Herring has never been noticed, that I

abounding
in

the Arctic Ocean

any number in the proper icy

fishers or arctic voyagers

There

is

no

islands.

supposed migration to and from high

northern latitudes does not exist,

in

own

fishery for

it

am

aware, as

has not been observed

seas

nor have our whale-

taken any particular notice of them.

them of any consequence

either in

Greenland or Iceland.

On

the Herring

and only a small variety of it,

found on the northern shore. This

is

a rare fish

according to Crantz,

is

the southern coast of Greenland

small variety or species was found by Sir

John Franklyn, on

the shore of the Polar basin, on his second journey.

" That

the Herring

is,

to

a certain degree, a migratory

fish,"

says Dr.

much more
is

at

any

M'Culloch,*

limited migration

"

may be

is far

true

but even a

from demonstrable.

It

no such progress
1
There
and west coasts from a central point.

rate perfectly certain that there is

''

along the east

can be no doubt that the Herring inhabits the deep water

round our

all

and only approaches the shores for the purits

spawn within the immediate influence

coast,

pose of depositing

of the two principal agents in vivification

ture

and oxygen

effected,

and

increased temperasoon as that essential operation is

as

haunt our coast disappear

that

the shoals

individuals are to be found and

So

the year.
the

North

far are

but

are caught throughout

many

they from being migratory to us from

only, that Herrings visit the west coast of the county

of Cork in August,

which

down

and long before they make

" In
other places much further north.

is

earlier

than those which come

the Irish Channel arrive,

their appearance at

former times, the fishery of the east coast did not commence
till

that on the west had terminated.

that the
to have

eastern

fishery

It

is

remarkable also

has become so abundant as quite

obscured the western."

And

Dr. M'Culloch, from

other examples, confirms a statement previously made, that

the fishery has
the shore
past

it

commenced soonest on the southern

and, what

is

also remarkable, that for

part

of

some years

has become later every year.

The Herring

is

in

truth a most capricious fish, seldom

remaining long in one place ; and there is scarcely a fishing

station round the British Islands that has not
experienced
in the visits

of this fish the greatest variations both as to

time and quantity, without any accountable reason.

"

Ordinary

M'Culloch,

philosophy

" unless

it

is

never

satisfied,"

adds

Dr.

can find a solution for everything

* See an
excellent paper on the
Herring in the 32nd number of the Journal
Royal Institution, for January 1824.

of the

HERRING.
and

113

for this reason, with

Thus,
imaginary ones.
one
of
the
Hebrides, it was asserted that
Long Island,
the fish had been driven away by the manufactory of kelp ;
is satisfied,

in

some imaginary coincidence having been found between

disappearance and the establishment of that business.
the kelp

them away from other

did not drive

fires

their

But

shores,

which they frequent and abandon indifferently without regard

to this work.
It has been a still more favourite and popular
fancy, that they were driven

hence this

is

has scarcely been fired in the

coast, since

their places

away by the

firing of

guns

Western

the days of Cromwell

many

not allowed during the fishing season.

and

gun

Islands, or on the west

they have changed

yet

In a similar man-

times in that interval.

ner, and with equal truth, it was said that they had been
driven from the Baltic by the battle of Copenhagen.
It is

amusing to see how old theories are revived.

This

is

a very

ancient Highland hypothesis, with the necessary modification.

Before the days of guns and gunpowder, the Highlanders

held that they quitted coasts where blood had been shed
:

and thus ancient philosophy

now supposed
found

to

to

smoked."

be the culprits, since a reason must be

prove their

steam-boat daily,
deserted

other

Steam-boats are

renovated.

is

is

now

lochs

Member

Loch Fyne,

effect,

their favourite haunt,

where
of the

of

by

and they have

have

steam-boats

House

visited

never

yet

Commons, during

the sessions of 1835, in a debate on a tithe

bill, stated,

that

a clergyman having obtained a living on the coast of Ireland,

signified

his intention

of taking the

tithe

of fish

which was, however, considered to be so utterly repugnant

to their privileges and feelings, that not a single Herring had
ever since visited that part of the shore

Our common Herring spawns towards

November and it

or the beginning of

the end of October

is

for

two or three

114

CLUPEIDE.

months previous

to

when they assemble

this,

immense

in

numbers, that the fishing is carried on, which is of such great

and national importance. " And here," Mr. Couch observes,

" we cannot but admire the

economy of Divine Providence,
by which

and

this

several other species of fish are brought to

the shores, within reach of man, at the time when they are

and best

in their highest perfection,

The mode

of fishing for Herrings

similar to those

employed

is

1 ''

be his food.

fitted to

by

drift-nets, very

Mackerel and Pilchard,

for taking

The

with a slight difference in the size of the mesh.

net

is

suspended by its upper edge from the drift-rope by various

shorter and smaller ropes, called buoy-ropes ; and considerable practical skill

net

is

required in the arrangement, that the

with the meshes square, smooth, and even, in

may hang

the water, and at the proper depth

according to the

for,

of their food, and other causes, the

tide, situation

wind,

Herrings swim at various distances below the surface.

The

size

of the boat used depends on the distance from

shore at which the fishery

carried

is

on

deep or in shallow water, the nets are

during the night.

much

found that the

It is

numbers when

greater

it is

but, whether in

only in actual use

fish strike

dark than while

the nets in
it is

light

the darkest nights, therefore, and those in which the surface

of the water

is

favourable.

It

ruffled
is

by a

and cause them to quit the places where

time alarm the

fish,

followed

it is

therefore strictly forbidden.

The Herring having spawned,

the fishing

ends for that

depths of the ocean,

principally of

most

supposed that nets stretched in the day-

that practice

is

breeze, are considered the

its

retires to

season.

food

is

said

While

inhabiting

by Dr. Knox

minute entomostracous animals

tainly less choice in its selection

deep water, and

when near

but

the

to consist
it

the shore.

is

cer-

Dr.

Neill found five

young Herrings in the stomach of a large

HERRING.
female Herring

he has

115

known them

also

to

be taken by the

fishermen on their lines, the hooks of which were baited with

and they have been repeatedly caught by anglers

with an artificial fly.
The young abound in the shallow
limpets

all round our shores

I
during the summer months.
have seen them taken off Brighton in the small-meshed nets

water

which are there used to draw

-for

Atherine

and they are

caught by boys while angling from piers and rocks at various

They are very abundant on

Yorkshire coast, where they are called Herring-sile ;

places along the southern coast.

the

and they swarm among the Orkney and Shetland Islands

during the whole of the summer.
They remain at the

mouth of the Thames during

are caught

many

From

nets used for taking sprats.

am

their first

induced to believe these young

roe during their

The

autumn and winter

on the coasts of Essex and Kent in the

first

repeated examinations, I
fish

do not mature any

year.

length of the head compared to the length of the

body alone, without the head

or caudal rays,

is

as one to four;

the depth of the body compared to the whole length of the

fish,

as

one to

five

the

commencement of the

dorsal fin

half-way between the point of the upper jaw and the end of
the fleshy portion of the
as the base of the fin

tail

the longest ray nearly as long

the pectoral fin rather large compared

to the size of the other fins.

The

ventral fin arises consider-

ably behind the line of the commencement of the dorsal

this fin is small,

with elongated axillary scales

its

fin

origin

half-way between the point of the lower jaw and the end of
the short central caudal rays.

The

anal fin begins half-way

between the origin of the ventral and the end of the fleshy
portion of the tail, and extends over half the distance between

its

origin

and the end of the fleshy portion, thus

occupying the third quarter division of the distance between

116

CLUPEID.E.

the origin of the ventral

of the

tail;

and the end of the fleshy portion

fin

the rays very short.

The

tail

considerably forked;

The

the outer rays as long again as those of the middle.

number are

fin-rays in

D. 17

P. 15

V. 9

A. 14

C. 20

Vertebrae 56

varying in some specimens to

D. 19

The

lower jaw

P. 17

V. 9

A. 16

by much the

is

C. 18.

longer,

with

five

or six

small teeth extending in a line backwards on each side from

the anterior point

four rows of small teeth on the central

upper surface of the tongue

a few small teeth on the central

portion of the upper jaw, and the inferior edges below the

gape finely serrated

the eye large

its

diameter compared to

the length of the head as two to seven, and placed at the

distance of
dorsal

its

own breadth from the end

and abdominal

lines of the

belly carinated, but not serrated

oval,

and

The upper

thin.

of the nose

the

body slightly convex ; the

the scales moderate in size,

part of the fish a fine blue, with

green and other reflections when viewed in different lights

the lower part of the side and belly silvery white

and gill-covers
sation
sal

silvery,

when the

and caudal

fish

fins

body almost white.

cheeks

exhibiting the appearance of extrava-

has been dead twenty-four hours.

dusky

Dor-

the fins on the lower parts of the

LEACH'S HERRING.

117

ABDOMINAL
CLUPEIDJZ.

MALACOPTERYGll.

LEACH'S HERRING.
Clupea Leachii, YARRELL, Zoological Journal,

THE
sorts

vol. v. p.

277,

pi.

12.

examination of considerable quantities of the various

of fish caught at the

mouth of the Thames during

winter by fishermen engaged in taking Sprats, has enabled

me

to select

what

I believe to

be a second species of British

Herring.

The common
is

Herring, when

taken heavy with roe, which

October.

It

is

it visits
it

our coast in autumn,

deposits towards the end of

certain that the fishing for

them

is

aban-

doned about that time, as no purchasers could be found for

the " shotten Herring ;" and it is also well known that the
Herrings, having cast their roe, retire from the shore to deep
water.

Numbers

of the young of the

taken with the Sprats.

fishermen,

These

common Herring

are called

a term probably derived from yearling.

young Herrings

differ materially

believe to be new.

form of the adult

The

are

Yawlings by some

But

these

from the Herring which I

yearling fish have the

common Herring

if

elongated

seven inches Jong,

JlO

CLUPE1DE.

which

about their average length, they are only one inch

is

and three-eighths in depth, and are without roe. Having

examined them repeatedly during the winter months, I am
induced to believe they do not mature any roe during their

and the

first

year

the

mouth

of the

fact of their

Thames

recently spawned have

left

remaining in large shoals at

the Herrings

after

the shore,

may

have

that

be taken in cor-

had they matured and deposited any roe,

the more adult fish of their own species,
like
would,
they
have experienced the same necessity for retiring to deep
roboration

for

water.

The

Herring, however, which I

now

refer

deposit

till

the

middle of February.

more than seven inches and a

inches.

It

is

known

that Dr.

half,

and

Its
its

it

does not

length

not

is

depth near two

Leach had often stated that

our coast produced a second species of Herring

not aware that any notice of

it

found

is

to,

heavy with roe at the end of January, which

but I

am

has ever appeared in print.

In order, however, to identify the name of that distinguished

naturalist with a fish of which he was probably the first
observer, I proposed for

it

the

name

of Clupea Leachii.

Dr. Leach's observations on the Herring were made during

his visit to the extended line of our southern coast in the

and Mr. Jesse, in his " Gleanings in Natural

History," has noticed the superiority and consequent partia-

year 1808

lity that is said to

digan

Of

Bay

exist in favour of the

Herrings of Car-

over those that are taken at Swansea.

the existence of a second species of Herring

shores, further proof

may

on.

our

be adduced in the following ex-

tracts.

" In former

times," says Dr.

M'Culloch,

" the

fishery

of the east coast of Scotland did

not commence

on the west had terminated.

was then supposed, and

It

till

that

LEACH'S HERRING.

119

unreasonably, that ,the fish had changed

that these were the western Herrings.
and
ground,
it
ought to have been plain that this was not the
not

very

as the

eastern fish were entirely different in

At

the western, and very inferior.

their

Yet
case,

quality from

the same time, they

were in that condition as to spawning which proved that

they could not have been the same

being entirely different

fish

is

fish.

now

The

fact of their

at least fully

proved,

because on both shores the period of the fishery has been

Journal of the Royal Institution, No. 32, for

the same."

January 1824, p. 217.

" A smaller but

superior species of Herring

Loch Eriboll

casionally in

There

are

to melt

and compared to

its

spawn.

is

as one to three

body greater than the length of the head,

the length of the head and body together

one to three and a half;

in proportion to its

has both the dorsal

:

the

The Strom-

length of the head compared to that of the body

the depth of the

vex

to visit

alone, without the head or caudal rays,

as

said

Summer Herring and lastly, towards

September, the Autumn Herring makes its

appearance, and deposits

is

found oc-

Spring Herring, spawns when the ice begins

then a larger

the middle of

The

of Herrings

three species

and three seasons of roe and spawning.

ling, or small

is

chiefly used for home

it is

Scotch Statistics, Durness.

consumption."

Baltic,

but

it

is

therefore

much

deeper

common Herring, and

and abdominal lines much more con-

length than our

the under jaw longer than the upper, and provided

with three or four prominent teeth just within the angle

formed by the symphysis ; the superior maxillary bones

have

their edges

breadth

full

irides pale

slightly

one-fourth

yellow

crenated

the

eye

is

large,

in

of the length of the whole head

the dorsal

fin is

placed behind the centre

120

CLUPEIDJE.

of gravity, but not so

much

the scales are smaller

the sides without any distinct lateral

line

the

so as in the

the edge of the belly carinated, but not serrated

fins small.

D. 18

The
P. 17

fin-rays in
:

V. 9

The back and upper

number

A. 16

part

with green reflections, passing

The

common Herring;

Herring

and

is

C. 20.

of the
into

flesh of this species differs

in flavour,

Vertebrae 54.

sides

are

deep blue,

silvery white beneath.

from that of the

much more

are

mild.

common

SPRAT.

121

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYG11.

CLUPEID3K.

THE SPRAT.
GARVIE HERRING AND GARVIE.

Scotland.

Clupea sprattus, LINNJEVS.

,,

BLOCH, pt. i. pi. 29, fig. 2.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 318.
Sprat, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 457.

,,

,,

WiLLUGHBY

and Ray, deceived apparently by the mis-

name by

application of the

which the

latter

for the

became acquainted during his journey in

that the word Sprat was only a

considered

that county,

name

young of the Herring and of the Pilchard, and

others have been misled

this

fish

the fishermen of Cornwall, with

their authority

by

distinguished from

but so well

is

both by the strongly serrated

is not a fisherman round

edge of the abdomen, that there

those parts of our coast where the Sprat

immediately distinguish
the darkest night.
it is

appreciated,
as a

good and

Though
is

still

VOL.

it

Its

is

taken that cannot

either, even in the midst of

characters

being

by some, and ought

to

now

be by

sufficiently

all,

admitted

distinct species.

much

less valuable

a very useful one.

II.

from

fish

Coming

than the Herring,

it

into the market in im-

122

CLUPEID.E.

mense quantities and

after the

Herring season

winter months

Immense

at a very
is

quantities are eaten

They

it

over,

of the year

and flavour, the consumption

lower classes.

moderate price immediately

supplies during

all

the

cheap and agreeable food.

and from their rich quality
not solely confined to the

is

but are also

are generally eaten fresh,

preserved in various ways.

The

is

Sprat

Fauna

included by Linnaeus in his

Suecica,

and by Professors Nilsson and Reinhardt in their publicaDr. Neill says the
tions on the Fishes of Scandinavia.
Sprat

Edinburgh market by the dozen

sold in

is

and

have received specimens that were taken near the Forth,

where they are called Garvie Herrings and Garvies. Farther south, they are

most plentiful on the Norfolk, Suffolk,

I have taken them on the

Essex, and Kentish coasts.

Dorsetshire coast in June, and they were then in roe.

They

inhabit the deep water round our southern coast during the

summer months, and may be found

many

of our

voracious

fishes

every

in

stomachs of

the

month

in

the

year.

have taken three Sprats from the stomach of a Whiting,

and have caught young Sprats off Ramsgate, Hastings, and
I

Weymouth,

in the

months of August and September.

Like

the other species of the genus Clupea, they are wanderers

"

ingly variable in their numbers.

and exceed-

the shoals are capricious in their movements,

Upwards of a ton weight

"
(Taunton

of Sprats was sold in our market last Saturday.

Courier, January 1832.)

useful fish visited

appear in
coast of

The

"

It

is

nearly fifty years since this

the neighbouring

exhaustless shoals close

coast,

in

and they now

shore on the

south

and

in Ire-

Devon."

Sprat

is

occasionally taken in Cornwall

land, on the coasts of Cork, Dublin,

In Cornwall the true

Sprat

is,

and

Belfast.

however, very rare

and

SPRAT.

name

the

appropriated, as

is

whom Ray

it

was by the old fishermen

consulted one hundred and fifty-six years ago,

Herring and of the Pilchard. An analogous misapplication of a name exists on the eastern coast,
where the true Pilchard rarely occurs, and where the name
to the fry of the

of Pilchard

given to the fry of the Shad and the half-

is

grown Herring.

The

fishing season begins early in

through the winter months

November, continuing

and the

largest quantities are

taken when the nights are dark and foggy.

few, and

those of the best description, are taken in the same manner

the Pilchard, and the Herring, by drift-

as the Mackerel,

nets of fine twine

and

peculiarly adapted

suitable small

for the capture

rove in shoals through the water.

plan pursued against Sprats

The

fishing.

is

mesh

of those

mode

species

But the most

by a mode

of fishing

which

destructive

called stow-boat

stow-boat net goes with two horizontal beams

the lower one, twenty-two feet long,

above the ground

is

suspended a fathom

the upper one, a foot shorter in length,

suspended about six fathoms above the lower one. To

these two beams, or balks, as they are called, a large bag-net

is

is

fixed, towards the

is

fine

enough

to

end of which, called the hose, the mesh

stop very small fry.

net, twenty-two feet

square

by hanging

ends of the beams.

it

The mouth

of the

wide and thirty-six feet high, is kept

to a cable and heavy anchor at the four

The

net

is set

under the boafs bottom

and a rope from each end of the upper beam brought up

over each bow of the boat, raises and sustains the beam,
and keeps the mouth of the net always open, and so moored
that

the

tide

carries

everything into

it.

strong rope,

which runs through an iron ring at the middle of the upper

beam, and is made fast to the middle of the lower beam,
brings both beams together parallel, thus closing the

mouth

124

CLri'KID.F.

when

of the net

it

is

required to be raised.

In this way an

enormous quantity of Sprats, with the fry of many other

to
species, are taken, which are principally sold by measure
manure land near the coast.

From

four to five hundred boats are thus employed during

the winter.

Many

thousand tons in some seasons are taken

sixpence and eight-pence the bushel, depending

on the supply and demand, to farmers, who distribute about
forty bushels of Sprats over an acre of land, and sometimes

and sold

at

manure twenty

acres at the cost of twenty shillings an acre.

In the winter of 1829-30, Sprats were particularly abundant:
barge-loads, containing from one thousand to fifteen hun-

dred bushels, bought at sixpence a bushel, were sent up the

Medway as far as Maidstone

The coasts of Kent, Essex, and

to

manure the hop-grounds.

Suffolk are the most produc-

So great is the supply thence obtained, that notwithstanding the immense quantity consumed by the mi]] ion

tive.

and a half inhabitants of London and

there

is

its

neighbourhood,

yet occasionally a surplus to be disposed of at so

low a price as to induce the farmers even so near the metropolis as Dartford to use

full-sized

them

for

Sprat measures

manure.
six

inches in

length, and

more than one inch and one-eighth in depth. The

length of the head compared to that of the body alone
is as one to four
compared to the whole length of the fish,
rather

as

one to six

as

one to

five.

the depth of the

The

dorsal fin

body is to the whole length

commences exactly half-way

between the point of the lower jaw and the end of the caudal
the ventral fins arise in a vertical line under the first
rays
:

dorsal fin-ray,

and have no

axillary scales

the ventral fins

and Herrings begin under the middle of the

and both have axillary scales, these are t'wo other

in the Pilchard

dorsal fin,

external distinctions

the under jaw

is

the longest

the dia-

SPRAT.
meter of the eye

less

125

than one-fourth of the whole head

siderable convexity of the dorsal

and abdominal

latter serrated before the ventral fins,

so behind

them

the

round, and deciduous

deeply forked

tail
;

and

still

lines

con-

the

more strongly

the scales large,

the upper part of the head and back

dark blue, with green reflections passing into silvery white on

the gill-covers, sides, and belly

dusky
in

pectoral, ventral,

number
D.

The

the dorsal and caudal fins

and anal

fins white.

The

fin-rays

are
17

P. 15

V. 7

A. 18.

vignette below represents

Whitebait in the Thames

mences on the next page.

C. 19.

the

Vertebra 48.

mode

of fishing for

the account of the fish com-

CLUPK1D/E.

126

ABDOMINAL
CLVPE1DJE.

MALACOPTERYGII.

THE WHITEBAIT.
YARRELL,

Clupea alba,
,,

Young Shad, DON.

Clupea alosa,

IN
in

Zool. Journ. vol.

iii.

p.

465,

pi. 10.

pi. 80.

Brit. Fish. pi. 98.

the papers on the subject of the Whitebait published

the fourth volume of the

voured
little

137 and 465,

iv. p.

Whitebait, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

,,

to

fish

prove,

was not,

historically

Zoological

Journal, I endea-

and anatomically,

that

this

had been supposed, the young of the

In its habits it differs mate-

as

Shad, but a distinct species.

rially

from

all

the other British species of Clupea that visit

From

our shores or our rivers.

the end of September this fish

as

high up

as

Woolwich

considerable quantity,
hereafter described.

the beginning of April to

may be

caught in the

Thames

or Blackwall, every flood-tide, in

by a

particular

During the

first

mode
three

of fishing to be

months of

period, neither species of the genus Clupea, of

this

any age or
size, except occasionally a young Sprat, can be found and
taken in the same situation
by the same means. The young
Shad of the year are not two inches and a half long till

WHITEBAIT.

127

and these
November, when the Whitebait season is over
Shad
are
never
without
a
of
that
young
portion
spotted ap;

pearance behind the edge of the upper part of the operculum,

which in one species particularly

exhibits a spot on the side at

long up

is

The Whitebait,

in the adult fish.

to six inches, which

begin to
small,

the end of

make

March

peculiarity

but from two inches

the length of the largest I

is

uniformly white.

is

or early in April,

Whitebait

Thames, and

their appearance in the

apparently but just

marked a

on the contrary, never

any age

have seen, the colour of the sides

About

so

are then

changed from the albuminous

During the fine weather of June,

immense
and
August,
July,
quantities are consumed by
visiters to the different taverns at Greenwich and Blackwall.
Pennant says, " They are esteemed very delicious when fried

state of very

young

fry.*

with fine flour, and occasion during the season a vast resort
of the lower

of epicures to the taverns contiguous

order

the places where they are taken."

to

What

might have

been the particular grade of persons who were in the habit

of visiting Greenwich to eat Whitebait in the days when

Pennant wrote,

am

unable to state; but at present, the

fashion of enjoying the excellent course of fish as served

either at

Greenwich or Blackwall

est authorities,

sanctioned

is

from the court at

St.

up
by the high-

James's Palace in the

Lord Mayor and his court in the East, including

West,
the Cabinet Ministers-)- and the philosophers of the Royal
to the

Society.
*

As might be

The Shad do

expected, examples so numerous and

not deposit their spawn

till

the end of

June or the beginning

of July.

In the Morning Post of the day on which this account of the Whitebait
September 10th, 1835, the following paragraph appeared:
"
Yesterday the Cabinet Ministers went down the river in the Ordnance

was

written,

barges to Lovegrove's
their

annual fish dinner.

West India Dock Tavern, Blackwall,

Covers were laid

for thirty-five

to partake

gentlemen."

of

128

CLUPEID.E.

and accordingly there

are few entertainments more
popular or more agreeable than a
Whitebait dinner.

influential

The

have corresponding weight

is

fishery

continued frequently as late as September

and specimens of young fish of the year, four and five inches

uncommon, but mixed, even

are then not

long,

at this late

of very small size, as though

period of the season, with others
the roe had continued to be deposited throughout the sum-

mer

yet the parent fish are not caught, and are believed

by

the fishermen not to come higher up than the estuary, where,

at this season of the year, nets sufficiently small in the

to stop

The

them

mesh

are not in use.

particular

mode

of fishing for Whitebait, by which

a constant supply during the season

is

obtained, was formerly

considered destructive to the fry of fishes generally, and great

pains were taken to prevent

vancy of the fishery of the

the history and habits of
derstood, and

it

by those

Thames was

to

whom

entrusted

the conser;

but since

speeies have been better un-

this

has been ascertained that no other fry of any

it

value swim with them,

which

can aver,

the

men have been

allowed to continue this part of their occupation with

or no disturbance, though

When

witnessing the

The mouth

mesh of the
boat

is

of the net

is

hose, or bag-end of the net,

moored

in the tide-way,

was

mode by which such

by no means

measuring only about three feet square in extent

large,

The

in

little

using an unlawful net.

investigating the subject of the Whitebait,

occasionally engaged
numbers were taken.

the

still

is

but

very small.

where the water

is

from

twenty to thirty feet deep ; and the net with its wooden
frame-work is fixed to the side of the boat, as shown in

The

the vignette at page 125.

loose,

is

untied,

from time

and

its

to time

contents

tail

of the hose,

swimming

handed into the boat, the end

shaken out.

The wooden frame

WHITEBAIT.

129

forming the mouth of the net does not dip more than four
below the surface of the water ; and, except an occa-

feet

sional

only small fry taken with the

the

fish,

straggling

Whitebait are the various species of Sticklebacks, and the

described in vol. i.
very common Spotted or Freckled Goby,
value or importpage 258 ; neither of which are of sufficient
fishermen go
the
The
farther
ance to require protection.*
down towards the mouth of the river, the sooner they begin

Whitebait

catch

to

When

fishing

as

the

after

high

flood-tide

has

commenced.

Woolwich, the tide must have

as

flowed from three to four hours, and the water become sensibly brackish to the

taste,

before the Whitebait will be

down the

found to make their appearance.

They

river with the first of the ebb-tide

and various attempts

return

to

in pure fresh water have unipreserve them in well-boats

failed.

formly

The Hamble, which

is

runs into the Southampton Water,

the only other river from which I have received

But

bait.

this I believe to

a particular

mode

of fishing

White-

be owing rather to the want of

by which

so

small a fish can

be taken so near the surface, than to the absence of the fish

itself ; which, abounding as it does in the Thames, I have
little

very

ing rivers

doubt might be caught in some of the neighbouron our south and east coasts.

The Thames
know

fishermen

who

the Whitebait perfectly,

live at

and below Gravesend

and catch them occasionally

of considerable size in the small-meshed nets used in the

Tipper and Lower

nets,
*
that

Hope

for taking shrimps,

called trinker-

which are like Whitebait nets, only larger

The

"no

fifteenth printed rule

and order of the Lord Mayor and

person shall take at any time of the year any sort of

but these
his

Court

fish

is,

usually
called Whitebait, upon pain to forfeit and pay five pounds for every such
offence ; it appearing to this court that under pretence of taking Whitebait the
small fry of various species offish are destroyed."
Page 11.

130

CLUPEID^E.

working near the bottom, principally

nets,

the fry of

arrest

the ground-swimming fishes.

The
ish

and Essex

The
alone

Whitebait frequently on the Kent-

Sprat-fishers take

is

coasts throughout the winter.

of the body
length of the head compared with that
as two to five ; the depth of the body compared to

the whole length of the

one to

fish, as

five

the dorsal

fin

the point of the closed jaws

commences half-way between

and the ends of the short middle caudal rays

the ven-

and half-way between the point of the closed jaws and

the tail long and deeply

the end of the longest caudal rays

The

forked.

D. 17

The head
that of the
line

behind the line of the commencement of the

tral fin arises

dorsal,

the longest

long as the base of the fin

fin as

ray of the dorsal

fin-rays in
:

P. 15

is

V. 9

elongated

abdomen

strongly

number
A. 15

are

C. 20.

Vertebra 56.

the dorsal line less convex than

the scales deciduous

serrated

from the pectoral

the abdominal

fin

to

the anal

aperture.

The

lower jaw the longest, and smooth

crenated
teeth

the eye large

the irides silvery

the back pale greenish ash

gill-covers, sides,
fins

the upper slightly

the tongue with an elevated central ridge without

and

all

the upper part of

the lower part, the cheeks,

belly, silvery white

coloured like the back

dorsal

and caudal

the latter tipped with dusky

The only food I

ventral, and anal fins, white.
could find in the stomach were the remains of minute crus-

pectoral,

tacea.

For

a representation of the

see the vignette at

page 125,
ferred for

want of

mode

of fishing for Whitebait,

to which the block was trans-

sufficient space here.

TWAITE SHAD.

131

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGU.

CLUPEJDJE.

THE TWAITE SHAD.

Alosafaita,

,,

,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 320.

WlLLUGHBY, pi. P. 3, fig. 1.
La Feinte, DUHAMEL, sect. iii. pi.

Clupea alosa, LINN^US.

Shad,

,,

,,

,,

BLOCH, pt. i.
PENN. Brit. Zool.

DON. Brit. Fish.

FLEM. Brit. An.

Generic Characters.

pi.

1, fig. 5.

30.

vol.

iii.

p.

460,

pi. 80.

pi. 57.

p. 183, sp. 53.

Upper jaw with a deep notch

in the centre

in other

respects like Clupea.

BARON CUVIER,

in the last edition of the

has advanced the Shads, of which

Regne Animal,
we have two species, to the

rank of a genus, on account of the deep central notch in the

upper lip ; and I have followed this example for the additional

reason that

afford the

it

will

the

means of obtaining a

more

easily

and

effectually

desirable alteration in our

nomenclature.

According to Cuvier, most modern authors have misapnames of these two species, call-

plied the systematic trivial

ing the Shad with teeth, and several spots along each side,
C. alosa ; and the larger Shad without teeth, and with a

l#X

CLUi'EIl)

K.

single spot only behind each gill-cover, or

none

at all,

Jinta.

The Alosa

of Rondeletius

not described or figured as

is

possessing either teeth or spots

and Cuvier, by

his usual

research, had probably satisfied himself that the fish to which

the term alosa had been originally applied was a toothless

Shad, and that the toothed and spotted Shad was the true

Pennant, in noticing the second British species of

in the Thames and the Severn, which is without

Jinta.

Shad taken

teeth or the row of lateral spots, called

which

it

would be desirable

generic term Alosa.

and hence

The

derived

are

still

name

old

it

an Allis

name

to retain, in reference to the

for the

Shads was Lachia

HaUacInd, Alachia, Alosa, Alose,

and Allis or Allice.

The

differences noticed

smaller species of Shad,

by Pennant and
taken also

in

the

others

in

Severn,

Gloucester, called the Twaite, induces the belief that

our

common Thames Shad

the

near
it

is

and the note by the editor

of the last edition of the British Zoology, at the foot of

page 463, (vol.

iii.)

is

particularly deserving of notice.

"

u that the Shad and Twaite are

suspect," says

the note,

distinct species,

and correspond with the Alose and Feinte of

This appears to be precisely the case, as a comof

our
two Shads with the representations in Duparison
hamePs work will prove and Professor Nilsson, in his ProDuRaine!."

dromus of the Fishes of Scandinavia, which has been

quently referred to, has correctly designated
our more

common Shad

of the

Thames

as

fre-

and described
the Jinta* of

Cuvier.
I

venture
Page 22.

inferior* vix

to propose
C. Jinta

longiore

Cuv.
maculis

ma.iillte distinctis.

the

names of Twaite Shad and

C. maxilla superiore untice profunde incisa

5 6 lateralibiis in serie positis ; dentibu*

Longit. circa 15 poll.

TWAITK SHAD.
Shad

Allice

for our

two

138

the better in future to dis-

species,

thus combining the generic name Shad with

tinguish them
a trivial name by which these two fishes have been hitherto,
to some extent at least, locally known.
;

The Twaite Shad

which enters our
the time of

annual

its

European Continent
of

its visit

then, if I

rivers

is

so call

a sea-fish

is

it,

some of the

to

visit

called the

the fresh water

to

may

about May, and in consequence of

is

of the

rivers

The

May^fish.

object

to deposit its

spawn ; and,
that accomplished, it returns to sea by the end of July.
Twaite Shads appear during these three months in abund-

ance in the Thames, from the

point of land below Green-

and great numbers are taken every season. These

produce, however, but a small price to the fishermen,

below
fish

first

of a mile
opposite the Isle of Dogs, to the distance

wich,

exceed-

l)eing in little repute as food, their muscles being

of bones and dry.

ingly full

Formerly great quantities of

the Twaite Shad were caught with nets in that part of the

Thames

opposite

them

present

at

Penitentiary

Millbank,

Above Putney Bridge was another

Westminster.
spot for

the

but the state of the water,

it

is

favourite

believed,

prevents the fish ascending the river in the same manner as

The
and but few comparatively are taken.

in former years,

ordinary size of the adult fish of this species

is

from twelve

to sixteen inches.

Shad

are not allowed to be caught in the

30th of June, that the remaining fish

Thames

may

after the

cast their

spawn

without interruption from nets.*

The
Thames

may be

principal spawning-time of the Twaite

is

Shad

in the

about the second week in July, when numbers

seen and heard frisking at or near the surface.

In

the language of fishermen, the Shad are said to thrash the

* Whitebait are
plentiful throughout

May

and June.

134

CLUPE1D.E.

water with their

selves of the

on a calm

tails

they appear to disencumber them-

matured roe by violent muscular action

evening or night the noise they

still

heard at some distance.

and

make may be

have obtained the young only

two inches and a half long

October

in

and suspect they

grow slowly, finding them only four inches long, and the
young of the larger Allice Shad only six inches long, in the
following spring.

The

habits

and habitat of the two species of Shads have

Though both
probably been very frequently confounded.
a
in
the
Severn
are common
during
particular season, Montagu has not noticed the appearance of either on the coast of

One

Devon.

species has been noticed on the Cornish coast

by Mr. Couch, and has

the eastern coast

it is

also

On

been taken near Dublin.

common

in the

Thames

is

occasionally

taken off Yarmouth, on the Norfolk coast, with the Herrings,

and also

in the

Reinhardt

The

It appears to have a consider-

Tyne.

the northward, both Professors Nilsson and

able range to

including

the

among

it

food of the Shads

is

fishes

of Scandinavia.

small fish and the softer-skinned

Crustacea.

The

length of the head compared to the whole length

of the fish

is

as

one to

five

the depth of the body rather

greater than the length of the head

point of the nose to the

sured again from thence backwards,

of the fleshy portion of the

ray

is

the distance from the

commencement

tail

of the dorsal

falls far

fin,

mea-

short of the end

the base of the last dorsal fin-

half-way between the point of the nose and the end of

the caudal rays

the longest ray of the dorsal fin

the base of the fin

the ventral

fins,

are placed a little behind the line of the

the dorsal fin

the base of the anal

two-fifths of the
space

is

as long as

without axillary

scales,

commencement of

fin,

between the ventral

occupying about
fin and the end

TWAITE SHAD.
of the fleshy portion of the
in

tail,

is

135

shorter than the anal fin

the Allice Shad, and has five rays less, beginning also

more forward

the

tail

deeply forked

the caudal rays with

two thin membranous appendages on each side, parallel to

the seventh and thirteenth caudal rays, about an inch in
length by three- eighths deep ; all four membranes opening
from the centre, being attached by the outer edge only.
The scales of the body rather large in proportion than those
of the Allice

the lateral line, as in most of the Clupcidte,

The abdomen

scarcely perceptible.

The

strongly serrated.

lower jaw the longest, with a few teeth

anteriorly

the

upper jaw with a deep central notch, and a row of small

teeth on the edge

down each

side.

The breadth

equal to one-fourth of the length of the head

vessels

cent

on the surface of the

of the eye

the

mucous

gill-covers beautifully arbores-

the top of the head and back dusky blue, with

and green

reflections in particular points of view

brown

from the

upper edge of the operculum a row of five or six dark spots

extend in a line backwards, the last generally the most indistinct, the

copper colour
tral,

number sometimes more than

six;

the irides,

of the head and body, silvery white, with a tinge of

sides

and anal

dorsal

and caudal

fins dusky ; pectoral, venThis species is immediately dis-

fins white.

tinguished from the Allice Shad

lateral

number

by possessing
and the smaller anal fin.
The

spots,

teeth,
fin-rays

are

D. 18

P. 15

V. 9

A. 21

C. 19.

Vertebrae 55.

the
in

136

CLUI'EID.K.

ABDOMINAL
MALACOPTERYGU.

CLUPEIDJE.

THE ALLICE SHAD.

CUVIER, Regne An.

Alosa comminiis,

,,

Alose,

,,

DUHAMEI,,

THE ALLICE SHAD,

appears to
species.

t. ii.

319.

p.

WiLi.i'Giinv, pi. P. 3, fig. 2.

Altice, PENN. Brit. Xool. vol.

,,

by

sect.

far

iii.

is

p.

463.

the larger of the two in size,

be much more limited in

It

iii.

pi. 1, fig. 1.

its localities as

a British

represented by Pennant and others as abund-

ant in the Severn, but

is

much

less

known

elsewhere.

Dr. Hastings, in his Illustrations of the Natural History

of Worcestershire, at page 77 says, " This is another fish
which the Severn affords in great perfection.
These fish
generally appear in May, though sometimes in April. This,
however, depends a good deal upon the quality of the water
if it is

clear,

they ascend early in the spring

happens to be a

flood,

they wait

till

but

if there

the waters are restored

and if they meet with a flood in

;
upward, they immediately return, and keep

to their former
purity
their progress

below Gloucester.

The

weight of this Shad

(the Allice

ALLICE SHAD.
of Pennant)

seldom

187

than four pounds ; they continue

about two months, and are succeeded by a variety
called the Twaite, which is less than the Shad, never weighDr.
ing more than two pounds, and is but little esteemed.
is

less

in the river

says, that the celebrated

Fleming
which

appears

month of July,
Shad

are

Whitebait of the Thames,

near Blackwall and Greenwich

the fry of this fish

is

plentiful in

the Severn,

but

as,

during the

although the

we hear nothing of the

Whitebait,* further investigation seems to be required on

this point."

In the Thames, the Allice Shad

of rare occurrence.

is

specimen was brought to me in 1831, that had been

caught above Putney Bridge ; and another was taken in

1833, which

is

noticed

by Mr. Jesse

in the third series of

" This fish

page 147.
was taken June 25th, opposite Hampton Court Palace ; and

his Gleanings in Natural History,

its

appearance so high up the river

it

taking

very unusual.

is

out of the well of the boat,

it

was

On

full of

spawn,
have had opportunities of examining very fine specimens from the Severn, sent to me by
T. B. L. Baker, Esq. of Hardwick Court.

and died immediately.'"

The

flesh

of this species

and the quality

ascends

the

pleasure in

is

is

said to

be of good flavour,

considered to improve the higher the fish

river.

^Elian says the Shads appear to take

the sounds of musical instruments

happens to thunder

when they

are ascending

but

if it

rivers,

they

return rapidly to the sea.

Both

Shads have great resemblance, except in

size, to Herrings, and have been frequently called the mother
The large Herrings of two feet in length, so
of Herrings.
called

species of

by Anderson and

others,

and

said

to occur

in

the

*
This, it may be remembered, was adduced as one of the proofs that the
Whitebait were not the young of the Shad.

VOL.

II.

138

CLUI'F.IDE.

Northern Seas, and among our Northern Islands, are no

doubt to be considered as referring to our Shads.

The specimen

described measured

the body deep and compressed

The

than one-third of the depth.

two

feet

in

length

the thickness rather less

length of the head com-

pared to that of the whole fish is as one to six ; the depth

compared to the whole length, as one to four and a half.

The

length of the base of the dorsal

fourth ray, which

the longest,

is

whole length of the base of the

shorter than the third

branched

the

nose and the

fin three

fin

the

first

the

and second rays

these three rays simple,

inches

one-third shorter than the

is

all

the others

ray half-way between the point of the

first

last ray

of the anal

fin

the last ray exactly

half-way between the point of the nose and the end of the
tail.

Pectoral

and simple
first

small

the upper ray the longest, strong,

ray arising in a vertical line

dorsal fin
fin

fin

the others branched

ventral fin also small

under the

first

narrow, and pointed

axillary scales long,

commencing half-way between the

the

ray of the

ventral fin

anal

and the

origin of the lower caudal rays, nearly one-fourth longer in

the base than the dorsal

the fourth, which

is

fin

the

three rays shorter than

first

the longest, and only one-third

length of the base of the

deeply forked

fin

the

tail

the rays of the middle only one-fourth of the

length of the longest external rays

the seventh and thir-

membranous appendages on

teenth caudal rays furnished with

each side similar to those observed in the Twaite Shad.

fin-rays in

number
D. 19

The

the

long and slender,

The

arc
P. 15

V. 9

A. 26

C. 20.

lower jaw the longest and smooth

with a central notch

the upper jaw

the lateral edges crenated

the breadth

of the eye rather less than one-fifth of the

length

of the

ALLTCE SHAD.

139

head, and placed one diameter and a half from the end of the

nose

mucous

buted

vessels of the

gill-covers

beautifully distri-

the nape and shoulders rise suddenly

depth of the body just before the ventral fin

body

rather large, nearly circular,

teral line

and thin

the greatest

scales of the

no

distinct la-

abdominal edge strongly serrated, particularly

behind the ventral

fins.

The

colours very similar to those

of the Twaite Shad, with a single dusky patch behind the

operculum, sometimes scarcely

Figure

Zoology

1
is

visible.

of plate III. in Dr. Fleming's Philosophy of

a representation of the Allice Shad.

Intending to make the fishing-boats of several countries

the subjects of some of the vignettes, that at page 120 represents a

Dutch boat

the vignette below

a French fishing-boat.

is

a representation of

CLUPEID.E.

140

ABDOMINAL
CLVPEIDJE.

MALACOPTERYGII.

THE ANCHOVY.
54.
Engraulis encra&icolus, Anchovy, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 183, sp.

CUVIER, Regne An.

vulgaris,

,,

Clupea encrasicolus,

t. ii.
p.322.
\\.II.UGHBY, p. 225, P. 2, fig. 2, App. 27.
LINN > is. HI.OCH, pt. i. pi. 30, fig. 2.

Anchovy, PENN. Brit. Zool.

,,

DON.

,,

Generic Characters.

vol.

iii.

p.

459,

pi. 78.

Brit. Fish. pi. 50.

Distinguished from the Herrings in having the head

jaw the longest the mouth deeply divided the opening

the gape and branchial aperextending backwards behind the line of the eyes

pointed

the upper

tures very large

of the dorsal

HAVE

the

the ventral fins in advance of the line of the

abdomen smooth

commencement

branchiostegous rays 12.

followed Dr. Fleming in preserving to the

An-

It
chovy the old name by which it was formerly known.
was called Lycostomus from the form of its mouth ; and
Encrasicholus Engraults, because from its bitterness it

was supposed to carry its gall in its head.

For this reason
the head as well as the entrails are removed when the fish is
pickled.

The Anchovy

is

common

from Greece to Gibraltar

and Romans, by

whom

fish

in

the Mediterranean

and was well known to the Greeks

the liquor prepared from

it,

called

ANCHOVY.
Garum, was

in great estimation.

141
Its

eastern range

ex-

is

tended into the Black Sea.

The

fishing for

lights are

them

carried

is

used with the nets.

The Anchovy is common on

and France
Islands,

Wales

it

occurs,

the coasts of Portugal, Spain,

no doubt,

I have

the Channel

at

and has been taken on the Hampshire

the Bristol

work,

on during the night, and

it is

Downing

as having

Pennant obtained
in Flintshire

and in

In the Appendix to Willughby's

been taken on the coast of

Channel.

mentioned

coast,

near

it

his

own

residence at

and Mr. Bicheno has very recently

obtained several on the coast of Glamorganshire.

It

is

said

be sold frequently in Liverpool market, and is reported

to be at this time an inhabitant of the piece of water below
to

Blackwall called
Its

Dagenham Breach.

range to the north

extensive, as

is

it

taken in the Baltic and on the coast of

not included by Linnseus in his

The Anchovy

appears to attain a

has usually been accorded to

length

is

have seen

Fauna

it

the more ordinary size

it

is

Norway

but

is

Suecica.

much

larger size than

from four to
;

occasionally

five inches in

but Mr. Couch says, " I

in the Cornish seas of the length of seven inches

have met with specimens from autumn,

it is therefore
through the winter, to the middle of March
be
with
that
a
established
good proprobable
fishery might

and a half; and

spect of success

for

though the nets employed

for other fish

can take but few of them, the numbers found in the sto-

machs of the Whiting and other ravenous

fishes

show that

they are in considerable abundance."

The Anchovy

is

immediately recognised among the spe-

cies of the family to which

it

belongs,

by

its

sharp-pointed

head, with the upper jaw considerably the longest.

The

length of the head compared with the length of the

body

142

CLUPEID/E.

alone

as one to

is

three

the depth of the

thirds of the length of the head,

of the whole fish

fin arises

sal

is

body but two-

and compared

as one to seven

the

first

to the length

ray of the dor-

half-way between the point of the nose and the

the third ray of the

end of the fleshy portion of the tail
dorsal fin, which is the longest, is of the same length as the
;

base of the

fin

the pectoral fin small

in a vertical line,

dorsal

anal fins

from

which

fin,

its

commencement

rays short

the

The

P. 15

breadth of the eye

whole head

commencement

of the

fin is as

long as the distance

to the origin of the ventral fins

The

deeply forked.

tail

D. 14

the ventral fins arise,

over the space between the ventral and

is

the base of the anal

in advance of the

V. 7

is

A. 18

one-fifth

fin-rays in

the

number

C. 19.

of the length of the

the peculiarity in the comparative length of the

jaws has been previously noticed

the gill-covers are elon-

the
body large and deciduous
colour of the top of the head and back blue, with a tinge of
green; irides, gill-covers, sides, and belly, silvery white the

gated

the scales

of the

fins delicate in structure,

and greenish white; the membranes

connecting the rays almost transparent.

In a

series of notes

mouth and

on the occurrence of rare

its vicinity,

Dawson Turner, Esq.

fish

at

Yar-

with which I have been favoured by

there

is

mention of a specimen of the

Anchovy, taken on the beach, which measured six inches and

a half in length

by

this fish

an additional proof of the large

on our shores.

size

acquired

COMMON

COD.

143

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG1L

CADIDX*

THE COMMON

COD.

THE KEELING.
Morrhua

vulgaris,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 331.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 191, sp. 76.

,,

Cod,

,,

,,

LINNJEUS.

,,

,,

Codfish, Keeling,

Codfish,

Generic Characters'

DON.

Body

chin

fins

p. 165,

vol.

L.

iii.

1, fig. 4.

p.

231.

Brit. Fish. pi. 106.

elongated, smooth, compressed towards the

back furnished with three dorsal

with two

WILLUGHBY,

BLOCH, pt. ii. pi. 64.

Common Codfish, PENN. Brit. Zool.

fins

behind the anal aperture

ventral fins pointed

the lower

tail

abdominal line

jaw with one barbule

at the

branchiostegous rays 7.

BARON

CUVIER/'S

fishes, those

first

division

of his second

order of

with flexible fin-rays, and with the ventral

fins

attached to the abdomen, being concluded, the soft-finned

fishes

of the second

order, succeed.
fins

division,

These

are recognised

placed very near the pectorals

*

those forming his third

or

The family

by having the

ventral

the bones supporting the

of the Codfish.

144

GADID.E.

former being attached to the bones of the shoulder supportand this disposition of the ventral fins has
ing the latter
:

been conveniently referred

by the

to

single term

subbra-

chial.

This division includes some of the species most valuable

to man as articles of food and commerce ; among which may
be particularly noticed some of those belonging to the

first

family, which includes the Common Cod, Haddock, Whitall

ing, and many others to be hereafter particularly noticed,

more

or less remarkable

which

is

the

excellence of their flesh,

white, firm, separates readily into flakes,

to the taste,

The

for

is

agreeable

wholesome, and cheap.

old genus Gadits of Linnaeus included fishes with one,

two, or three dorsal fins, one or two anal fins, with or without

barbules or

cirri

about the mouth, and of very different forms

These have been separated by Cuvier, whose

of body.

genus includes only those with three dorsal

fins,

and one barbule

fins,

first

two anal

at the chin, as the generic characters

determine.

The Common Cod

is not
only one of those species most
but
is
also
one of the greatest intrinsic
universally known,
value, whether we consider the quality of the fish itself, the
enormous numbers in which it is taken, or the extensive

range over which

ropeans are

it

exists.

In the seas with which Eu-

best acquainted, this fish

found universally
Gibraltar
but it

is

from Iceland very nearly as far south as

does not exist in the Mediterranean and on the eastern side
;

of the American continent, and

among

its

numerous

from the 40th degree of latitude up to 66,

more abundant.
In

it

is

islands,

even

still

country it appears to be taken all round the coast

the islands to the north and west of Scotland it is

this

among

abundant-',

most extensive

fisheries

are

carried on:

and

it

COMMON

COD.

145

may be

traced as occurring also on the shore of almost every

county

in

In the United

Ireland.

the

human

The

and

food,

supplies employment,

sale,

Kingdom

alone,

this

the partial consumption and

fish, in the catching, the curing,

profit to

thousands of

race.

Codfish

very voracious

is

for the fishermen,

them with almost any

As

ascertained.

a favourable circumstance

who experience
bait

little

difficulty in taking

whenever a favourable

these fish

inhabit

generally

locality is

deep water,

from twenty-five to forty and even fifty fathoms, and feed

near the ground on various small fish, worms, Crustacea* and
testacea, their capture

Two

sorts of lines,

ing, are in

only attempted with lines and hooks.

is

adapted for two very different modes offish-

common

use.

One mode

ed bulters, on the Cornish coast

hooks fastened
shorter

is

sea-lines, call-

by deep

these are long lines, with

at regular distances along their

and smaller cords called snoods

whole length by

the snoods are six feet

long each, and placed on the long line twelve feet from each

hooks becoming entangled.

Near the
hooks these shorter lines, or snoods, are formed of separate
other, to prevent the

threads loosely fastened together, to guard against the teeth of

the

Some

fish.

as to the

variations occur at different parts of the coast,

number of hooks attached

the length of the snood

between two snoods

itself.

is

to the line, as well as in

but the distance on the long line

always double the length of the snood
;

Buoys, buoy-ropes, and anchors or grapples, are

the hooks are baited
;

fixed one to each end of the long line

with sandlaunce, limpet, whelk, &c.

laid, or, as

it

is

runs upon the end of the line,

by which the whole

* Mr.

the lines are always

termed, shot, across the tide

Couch has taken

it

will force the

for if the tide

hooks together,

tide's fishing is irrecoverably lost

thirty-five

crabs,

crown piece, from the stomach of one Cod.

none

less

than the

size

they

of a half-

146

GADID.E.

are deposited generally about the time of slack water, be-

tween each ebb and flow, and are taken up or hauled

examination after being

left

about

six

for

hours, or one flood

or ebb.

An

improvement upon

this

more common plan was some

who was sent

years ago suggested by Mr. Cobb,

to the

Shetlands by the Commissioners appointed for the improvement of the fisheries. He fixed a small piece of cork within
distance of the hook, about twelve inches, which

a certain

so as to
prevent its falling on
suspended and floated the bait
the ground; by which method the bait was more freely shown

by the constant and variable motion produced

by the tide. In the old way, the bait was frequently

to the fish,

upon

it

fish by being covered with seaweed, or was

consumed by some of the numerous Star-fish and Crabs that

hid from the

infest the

The

ground.

fishermen,

when not engaged

in shooting, hauling, or

rebaiting the long lines, fish with hand-lines, armed with two

each fisherman
hooks kept apart by a strong piece of wire
a heavy
manages two lines, holding one line in each hand
is attached to the lower end of the line not far from
weight
:

the hooks, to keep the bait

fish principally feed.

down near

the ground, where the

These two modes of

practised to a great extent nearly

all

line-fishing are

round the coast

and

enormous quantities of Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Coalfish,

Pollack, Hake, Ling, Torsk, and all the various flat-fish,

by the general name of whitefish, are taken.

Of Codfish alone, the number taken in one day is very con-

usually called

siderable

from four hundred to

five

hundred and

fifty fish

have been caught on the banks of Newfoundland in ten or

eleven hours by one man ; and a master of fishing-vessels
trading for the
fishing

London market

told

me

that

under his orders off the Dogger Bank,

eight

men,

in twenty-five

COMMON

147

COD.

Cod

fathoms water, have taken eighty score of

These
sels

are

brought to

Gravesend

in one day.

in stout cutter-rigged ves-

of eighty or one hundred tons burthen, called storeboats,

built for this traffic, with a large well in

preserved alive

and of these a portion

which the

fish are

sent

to Bil-

is

up

lingsgate market by each night-tide.

Well-boats, for preserving alive the

into use in this country
said to

have been

storeboats

taken at sea, came

fish

early in the last century.

They are
The

Harwich about 1712.

built at

first

remain as low down as Gravesend, because the

water there

is

sufficiently

mixed

keep the fish alive

would kill them.
to

they were to come higher up, it

change has lately taken place from the

if

Cod having

Formerly the Gravesend and Barking

shifted their ground.

fishermen obtained no

Cod

nearer than the Orkneys or the

Dogger Bank but for the last two or three years the supply
London market has been obtained by going no far;

for the

ther than

the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coasts, and even

between that and London, where previously very few

could be obtained.

Cod have been kept

in salt-water

fish

in different parts

ponds

of Scotland, and found to maintain their condition unimpaired.

Of

these ponds there are three

another in Fife, and a third in Orkney.

is

at

Logan, the seat of Colonel

thirty feet in depth,

rence,

one in Galloway,

That

M'Dowall

in

it is

Galloway
a basin of

and one hundred and sixty in circumfethe solid rock, and communicating

hewn out from

with the sea by one of those fissures that are

bold and precipitous

this preserve,

coasts.

whose duty

it is

fisherman

is

common

to

attached to

constantly to supply the fish

with the necessary quantity of food, which several species

soon learn to take eagerly from the hand.

In the course of

the fishing for this daily supply, such fish as are not too

148

GADID.E.

much

injured are placed in the reservoir

and other

testacea, are boiled to free

and no sooner does the keeper

the others are cut

The

in pieces for food for the prisoners.

whelks, limpets,

them from the

shells

or his son appear with the

well-known basket of prepared food, than a hundred mouths

The Codare simultaneously opened to greet the arrival.
are the

fish

most numerous

in

this

preserve

one of which

has lived twelve years in confinement, and attained a large

size.

In a natural

state the

Cod spawns about February

and

nine millions of ova have been found in the roe of one fe-

The Cod

male.

in

is

the greatest perfection as food from

the end of October to Christmas.

It

in fact,

may,

be said

of the whole of the family of Gadida, that they are in the

best condition for the table duriiur the cold

The young

year.

mouth of

the

at

summer
and

as

of the Cod, about six inches long, abound

Thames and Medway throughout

the

autumn advances, they gain

from twelve

are caught

lines near the various

On
colour

the

Man,
;

Cod

and are called

Cod, when of

this

others sent to

our

me by

Common Cod

varieties

and Skinners

acquire a dark red or reddish

of

and

at the

brown

Red Cod, Ware Cod, and Red Ware

particular colour.

quantity in this state

by

When

Durham and Northumberland, and

the coast of

the

and strength,

Channel.

in the

Whiting
when larger, Tamlin Cod.
Isle of

size

to sixteen inches in length

sandbanks

they are called Codlings

size,

months of the

in

saw a considerable

Berwick market, and have had

Dr. Johnston.

Both the

for there appears to

were equally red.

varieties of

be two well-marked

This colour

is

considered to

be the consequence of
particular food obtained in certain
localities.

At

a short distance only from

named, the Codfish

the

situations

are of the usual ash-green colour.

COMMON
The

COD.

149

Codfish I have a record of weighed sixty

was
pounds,
caught in the Bristol Channel, and produced
five
it was considered
shillings
cheap there at one penny
largest

the

Pennant, however, states that a Codfish of

pound.

seventy-eight pounds' weight was caught at Scarborough, and

sold for one shilling.

There appears

Common Cod

be two well-marked

to

varieties

of the

one with a sharp nose, elongated before the

and the body of a very dark brown colour, which is

This variety prevails
usually called the Dogger Bank Cod.

eye,

along our southern

also

The

coast.

other variety has

round blunt nose, short and wide before the eyes, and the
body of light yellowish ash-green colour, and is frequently
called the Scotch Cod.

Both

sorts

have the

lateral line white.

more southern and northern Cod

I believe the distinction of

and that the blunt-headed lighter-coloured

to be tenable,

does not range so far south as the sharper-nosed dark

fish

In

fish.

chell,

quote the authority of Dr. Miton

the Fishes of New York, says of
paper

this view I

in his

who,

the broad-nosed

fish,

cool season, for the

him

he

is,

"

We

get him, however, only in the

summer temperature

of our waters kills

therefore, only found here between November

Our fishermen now

and April."

much

may

nearer home, the

finding plenty of Codfish

London shops

for

the last year or

two have only now and then exhibited specimens of the

short-nosed northern Cod
both varieties are equally good
:

in

quality, and both are frequently taken on the same

ground.

The

length of the specimen described was three feet, and

The

the weight about twelve pounds.

compared
dal rays,

to the length of the

is

as

body

length of the head

alone, without the cau-

one to two and a half ; the depth of the body

head the first dorsal fin com-

equal to the length of the

150

GADID.E.

menccs
rals

commences

the second dorsal

behind the origin of the pecto-

in a vertical line just

in a line over the anal

aperture, and ends on the same plane

the third dorsal fin and the second anal

on the same plane

the

tail

as the first anal fin

begin and

fin

nearly square

all

finish

the rays of

the fins covered with an extension of the skin of the body.

The
D.

fin-rays in

10. 20. 18

The head

is

number

P. 20

large

are

V. 6

A. 20. 16

C. 26.

the belly tumid and soft

tapering gradually throughout the latter half

abdomen extended

the

internally behind

the intestine being recurved

cheeks, back, and sides,

ash

the belly white

the posterior half;

all

Vertebra 50.

the body

the cavity of

the anal aperture,

the

upper part of the head,

mottled and spotted with greenish
:

the lateral line white, broadest along

the fins dusky, the

first

and second

dorsal being rather lighter in colour than the rest

a broad

band of short teeth on the upper jaw, which is the longest,

and on the anterior part of the vomer
a narrower band on
;

the lower jaw, with one elongated barbule at the chin

iridcs

silvery, the pupil blue

the

the breadth of the orbit one-

sixth of the length of the head.

The

vignette represents a Scheveling fish-cart.

DORSE.

151

SUBBEACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GAD DM.
I

THE DORSE,
OR VARIABLE COD.
Morrhua

,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 191.

,,

LINN^US.

callarias,

WILLUGHBY,
Gadus

THE

p. 172,

p. 332.

L. l,fig.

1.

BLOCH, pt. ii. pi. 63.

BERKENHOUT, Syn. edit. 1795, p. 67, sp. 2.
Variable Cod, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 239.

authority

upon which

this

species

was originally

introduced into the catalogue of British fishes seems

now

to

Neither Berkenhout nor the naturalists

be questionable.
who have followed him, in including the name of it, appear to
have seen any British example ; and Dr. Fleming, who from
was the most likely to have seen speci-

his northern locality

mens, mentions
not number

it

it

only on the authority of others, and does

in his series of species.

It appears to be a fish well

quently called the Baltic Cod.

known
It

is

in

the Baltic, and fre-

included by Professor

Nilsson in his Pishes of Scandinavia, and seems to be fully

entitled to one of its names, that of Variable Cod, four

152

GADIDJE.

northern varieties appearing to be well known, which

are

each distinguished there by a particular term referring to

peculiarities

the colouring.

in

It

in

spawns

March and

April.

The

published description of this species that

last

am

acquainted with, and most likely to have been taken from

the fish
it is

itself, is

by M. Nilsson, before

that

"

and

here given rather than multiply in print any well-known

description of older date.

the

referred to

have never seen a specimen of

fish.

Body

more or

elongated, subventricose

less

spotted

head, back, and sides,

lateral line white,

upper jaw much the longer

bent

jaw only half as long as the head, and ending on

way between the nose and the eye."

The

fin-rays in

D.

15.

number

18. 20.

Length from twelve

tail

snout prominent, sharp

V. 6

A. 19. 18.

to twenty-four inclir<.

under

a line half-

are

P. 20

square
;

C. 24.

HADDOCK.

153

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADWJE.

THE HADDOCK.
Morrhua

&glefinus,

Gadus

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 331.

Haddock, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 191,

,,

Hadock,

,,

LINN^US.

WILLUGHBY,

sp. 77.

p. 170, L. 2.

BLOCK, pt. ii. pi. 62.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.iii.p. 241.
Haddock, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 59.
Hadock,

THE HADDOCK
Cod

is

almost as well

known

as the

and from the quantity taken at numerous

round the coast, and the facility with which the
;

be preserved,

it

is

a fish of considerable

Common
localities

flesh

can

Besides

value.

frequenting the coast of Great Britain, from the extreme

north to the Land's End, the

Haddock may be

traced nearly

round the shores of Ireland

and the largest examples

;
have been taken in Dublin Bay and off the Nymph Bank.
Though ranging over a considerable space both north and
all

south of the geographical situation of this country, the

dock does not

exist either in the Baltic or in the

Had-

Mediter-

ranean.

Haddocks swim
VOL.

II.

in

immense

shoals, but are uncertain as to

154

GADIDJE.

their appearance

places that had been formerly visited,

in

and they are prone to change their ground after having

arrived.
The enormous consumption of food even in a short
space of time, when the number of mouths is considered,

may be one powerful reason for seeking new localities.

They are probably more abundant along our eastern coast,
from Yarmouth to the Tyne, than elsewhere. There they
are caught with long-lines and hand-lines, and the most
baits are

attractive

launce.

pieces cut from

the Herring or Sand-

Along our southern shore, where the trawl-net

constantly in use, the

is

Haddock, feeding near the bottom, is

The most common weight

frequently taken in the trawl.

of a

Haddock

is

from two to four pounds.

I have seen

Haddocks of ten pounds' weight in the London market ;

the Brixham trawling-ground has produced Haddock of
fourteen pounds

but the largest seen for some years past

and was taken in Dublin Bay.

weighed sixteen pounds,

Haddocks spawn
are six inches long

in

by

February and March, and the young

the beginning of September.

When

kept in confinement in the salt water preserve referred to in

the account of the

Common

Cod, the Haddocks were found

to be the tamest fishes in the pond,

and took limpets one

is small fish, and

Their food

from the hand.

after another

almost any of the inferior animals of the deep, even the

They

spiny Aphrodita.

table during the last three

The French
probably our

fishermen

are in

the best

months of the
call

condition for the

year.

the Haddock, Hadot, whence

name was derived.

" Our

countryman Turner suggested that

the Haddock was the Onos or Asinus of the ancients.
Dif-

Pennant

says,

ferent reasons have

species,

been assigned for giving this name to the

it to be from the colour of the fish,

some imagining

others because

it

used to be carried on the backs of asses to

HADDOCK.

market."

155

me more

different reason appears to

have suggested the name

likely to

the dark mark on the shoulder

Haddock very frequently extends over the back and

of the

unites with the patch of the shoulder on the other side, for-

reminding the observer of the dark stripe over the

and the superstition that assigns the mark

cibly

withers of the ass

the

in

Haddock

to the impression St. Peter left with his

finger and thumb when he took the tribute-money out of

a fish of this species, which has been continued to the whole

race of

Haddocks ever

since the miracle,

may

possibly have

had

reference, or even its origin, in the obvious similarity of

this

mark on the same part of the body of the Haddock and

of the humble animal which had borne the Christian Saviour.

That

the reference to St. Peter

Haddock does not

fact that the

is

gratuitous,

is

shown by the
coun-

exist in the sea of the

try where the miracle was performed.

The length of the specimen described was twenty inches.

The length of the head compared to the length of the body,
without including the caudal rays,

one to two and a

as

is

half; the depth of the body less than the length of the head

the

first

dorsal fin

pectorals

commences

in a line over the origin of the

the second dorsal

fin

begins in a line over the

anal aperture, and ends nearly on the same plane with the
first

anal fin

the third dorsal

commence nearly on
first is

fin,

and the second anal

the same plane,

longer than that of the second

long, and the

tail

slightly

forked.

fin,

but the base of the

the caudal rays rather

The

fin-rays in

number

are

D.

15. 21. 19.

The head
the nose

P. 18

V. 6

A. 24.

8.

C. 25.

Vertebra 54.

slopes suddenly from the crown to the point of

the upper jaw

much

longer than the lower

the

nose projecting beyond the opening of the mouth, which

is

156

GADID-E.

band of short teeth on the superior maxillary

bones, and a patch of teeth also, of the same character, on
lower jaw furnished
the most anterior part of the vomer

small

a broad

with a narrow band of teeth

the barbule at the chin small

the diameter of the orbit more than one-fourth

the eye large ;

of the whole length of the head

the irides silvery

the

in form, and blue

the head,
pupil large, somewhat angular
of
the
dull
and
sides,
cheeks, back,
upper part
greyish white ;
:

lower part of the sides and belly almost white, slightly motthe body covered with small scales
the la;

tled with grey

teral line strongly

the

first

which in

marked and black

under the middle of

dorsal fin, but below the lateral line, a black patch,

many specimens

extends over the back and unites

with the mark on the other side

dusky bluish grey

the dorsal fins and

pectoral, ventral, and anal

fins

tail

lighter.

BIB, POUT,

AND WHITING

POUT.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIJ.

THE

GADID&.

POUT,

BIB,

SMELTIE, Zetland.

AND WHITING POUT.

KLEG, Scarborough.

BLENS and

BLINDS, Devonshire and Cornwall.

Morrhua

lusca,

FLEM.

Bib,

Brit.

barbata, Pout, FI.EM.

,,

Bib

Asellus luscus,

8$

An.
,,

p. 191, sp. 78.

,,

sp. 79.

Blinds, WII.LUGHBY, p. 169.

barbatus,

Whiting Pout, WILLUGHBY, App. 22, L.

luscus,

LINNA:US.

,,

barbatus,

LINNJF.US.

,,

luscus

Bib,

,,

barbatus,

,,

Gadus

luscus,

THE

BLOCH, pt. v. pi. 166.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 247,
Pout, PENN.
,,
,,
p. 246.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 19.
Bib,

systematic terms which refer to the

4.

pi.

34.

Bib and Pout

are here brought together in the belief that they are but
different

names

Willughby,

for the

his Asellus luscus,

Ray,

in his

same

fish.

in his Ichthyology, page 169, first described

under

Appendix

to

its

Cornish names of Bib and Blinds.

Willughby's work, which he edited,

admitted from Martin Lister, as a species, the Whiting

Pout of the London market, not aware that it was the same

158

GAU1DJE.

fish as

the Bib of Cornwall, which had been already included

and described by Willughby himself. Ray continued them

as distinct in his own Synopsis, and was followed by Artedi,
Bloch, however, and Lacepede have

Linnaeus, and others.

not admitted either in their works

he gave each
inclined to

fish

a place

consider

of the fish given by

them

and Pennant, though

Zoology, was

British

his

The

identical.

in

Ray

in

Willughby

excellent figure

work, plate L. 4,

the possession of specimens obtained from various localities

between Berwick

Bay on

the north-east, and Devonshire in

and these compared with drawings by Mr.

Couch of the Bib of Cornwall, leave no doubt that the
luscus and barbatus of authors are the same fish.

the south-west,

The Bib

though not abundant, is yet a wellknown species, which is found on many parts of our coast,
or Pout,

Northward

particularly those that are rocky.

range as far as

Greenland

Norway and Sweden.

I

It

is

and

is

it

appears to

caught on the coasts of

taken at Zetland and in the Forth.

have received specimens from Dr. Johnston, taken at Ber-

wick

and

occurs on the coast of Norfolk.

it

about the mouth of the

as the

French

as Devonshire,

coast.
it

is

Thames

It

Along our southern shore

very

is

common

and on the Dutch

as well

as far west

taken in the trawl-nets

commonly

but on the rocky coast of Cornwall it is caught by a baited

hook.
It has been taken on the coast of Carnarvonshire, at
Dublin, at Belfast, and Loch Foyle

may be found all round the coast.

From a dark spot at the origin
it

resembles the Whiting, one of

and

have no doubt

of the pectoral
its

fin, in

which

most common names

is

Whiting Pout; and from a singular power of inflating a

membrane which covers the eyes and other parts about the
head, which,

when thus

distended,

have

the appearance of

AND WHITING POUT.

BIB, POUT,
bladders,

The

is

it

Pout, Bib,* Blens,* and Blinds.*

called

flesh is excellent

159

and, like most of the other fishes of

this family, it is in the best condition for the

table in

No-

vember and December.

and the

vari-

Its food is small fish

ous animals allied to the shrimps.

caught in spring, because
the purpose of spawning.

It

is

most frequently

then approaches the shore for

largest specimen I have seen

it

The

measured in length sixteen inches.

The length of the head is to the whole length of the fish
as one to four ; the depth of the body is greater than the
length of the head, and compared to the whole length of the
fish as

one to three and a half

the

dorsal fin

first

commences

behind the origin of the pectoral

fin
the rays
the longest ray longer than the base of the fin
base
of
of the second dorsal fin are short ; the
it as
long again
in a vertical line a little

as the base of the first dorsal fin,

same plane
fin is

as the first anal fin

and ending nearly on the

the base of the third dorsal

nearly as short as that of the

first

dorsal, commencing
and ending on the same plane with the second anal fin, and

The ventral fins are considerboth are similarly truncated.

of
of
in
advance
the
line
the origin of the pectorals ;
ably
two rays elongated, and divided at the ends the
anal aperture is in a line under the origin of the pectoral
the

first

fins,

but the cavity containing the intestines extends

farther back

the

first

anal fin

with the beginning of the

first

much

commences nearly in a
dorsal, and ends on a

line
line

with the ending of the second dorsal

the rays forming the

;
middle portion of the fin the longest, the others declining in
length towards each extremity the second anal fin, as before
:

mentioned, in extent of base

*

and form

like the third dorsal

Probably derived from Bleb and Blain, two old words meaning a

or a bubble in the water.

blister

160
the

GADID.E.

D.

The num-

long, the end of the rays nearly square.

tail

ber of fin-rays

11. 20. 16.

In the

tails

P. 18

V. 6

A. 33. 19.

C. 21.

Vertebrae 48.

of the fishes of this family there are

many

short rays which are not counted, being outside the longest

ray above and below.

In form the Whiting Pout

the British Gadidcc

is

the deepest for

the upper jaw

is

length of

its

the longest

the band

of teeth of several rows, those forming the outer row the

largest

under jaw with a single row

rather long
large

equal

the barbule at the chin

mucous pores about both jaws the eyes

membrane which the

various

the orbits covered with a loose

has the power of distending

fish

to

the diameter of the eye

one-third of the length of the head

orange colour

the irides

the dorsal and abdominal lines exhibit con-

siderable convexity

the body tapers rapidly from the line of

the ending of the second dorsal and

anal fins

first

the colour

of the head, back, and upper part of the sides, a yellow

reddish brown, becoming lighter on the belly, and tinged in
places with bluish grey

black spot

lateral line straight,

fin

trals

all

the

fins,

nearly white

edged with

scales small

at the

base of the pectoral fins a

and deciduous

posterior half of the

then rising in a curve over the pectoral

except the ventrals, dusky brown

;

the

fine blue.

first

the ven-

anal fin in large-sized specimens

POOR, OB

POWER COD.

161

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADID.E.

THE POOR, OR POWER

Morrhua minuta,
Gadus minutus,

FLEM.

BLOCH, pt. ii. pi. 67, fig. 1.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 249,

THE POOR,

OR

to

It

is

34.

pi.

though somewhat similar

Pout

be distinguished from

characters.
first

to the

p. 191, sp. 80.

6.

POWER COD,

general appearance

readily

Brit.

WlLLUGHBY, p. 171.
RAY, Syn. p. 163, fig.

,,

in

Poor,

LINNAEUS.

Power,

,,

An.

COD.

it

last described,

is

by

not so deep when of the same length

anal fin does not begin so far forward as in the

nearly the whole length of the. base of the

longest rays of the third dorsal

fin

yet

several well-marked

first

the

Pout by

dorsal fin

and the second anal

the

fin are

shorter than the bases of the respective fins, and do not,

produce the same vertically truncated appearance

as in the same relative fins of the Pout ; and the barbule at
therefore,

the chin

is

much

The Power,
called,

it

is

or

said,

shorter.

Poor Cod, the smallest of

on account of

its

its

diminutive

genus, so

size,

seldom

GADID.E.

and therefore comexceeding six or seven inches in length,

was first described as an English
paratively of little value,
fish

by Dr. Jago, of Cornwall, and was introduced by Ray

at the

end of

his Synopsis, with a figure

exhibits the specific distinctions afforded

situation of the fins, which has

which particularly
by the form and

been already adverted

and

to,

by which it may be immediately recognised.

Bloch says that the appearance of this fish in the Baltic

is

It is called the fisha source of pleasure to the fishermen.

conductor ; and excites great hopes of a rich harvest among

the larger species of the genus, the Cod, and others, which
follow in the rear, preying relentlessly on their
tive

generic companions: the fishermen in their turn prey

upon them.
Mr. Couch says

it

frequents the edges of rocks,

by the hook, and, though always good

account of
says

more diminu-

it is

its

small size,

is

caught

for the table,

chiefly used for

bait.

is,

on

Montagu

taken frequently on the Devonshire coast with the

In the nets worked on that

hook, and

also in the crab-pots.

coast

caught along with the Bib, the fishermen selling

it

is

both as Whiting Pout.

The
the fish

length of the head compared to the whole length of

as

is

one to

five

the depth of the body rather more

than the length of the head

the

first

dorsal fin begins be-

hind the line of the origin of the pectorals the longest ray
as long as the base of the fin
the second dorsal fin begins
:

and ends on the same planes with the

first

anal fin

the base

of the second dorsal fin as long again as the base of the

dorsal fin

the base of the third dorsal fin rather

half as long as that of the second dorsal

first

more than

the third dorsal and

the second anal fins begin and end on the same planes, and

the peculiarity of their forms has been referred

vent, or anal aperture,

is

in a line

to.

The

under the most posterior

POWER

POOR, OR
portion of the

first

dorsal fin

the

COD.
first

163

anal fin begins im-

mediately behind the vent, and under the commencement of

the second dorsal fin
the

tail is

of fin-rays
D.

the second anal fin has been noticed

12. 19. 17.

The head

is

short

P. 14

V. 6

A. 25.

and the nose blunt

17.

mucous pores about the mouth

to

C. 18.

the barbule at the

Pout

chin neither so long nor so slender as in the

equal

The number

long, with the rays slightly forked.

the eye large

one-third of the length of the head;

several

the breadth

the irides

orange
body minute and deciduous ; the
lateral line but slightly curved, and that only where it rises
over the* pectoral fin
the upper part of the head and back
:

the scales of the

brownish yellow, becoming lighter on the cheeks and sides

the belly dirty white

pectoral, dorsal fins,

brown, darker at the edges

lowish white.

ventral

and

and anal

tail,

yellow

fins dirty yel-

164

GADID.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERY01I.

C.ADID&.

THE SPECKLED

COD.

Morrhua punctata, Speckled Cod, FI.EM. Brit. An. p. 192, sp. 81.
Gadus punctatus,
,,
,,
TURTON, Brit. Faun. p. 90, sp. 18.

ACCORDING

to Dr. Turton, the Speckled

The

ly taken in the weirs at Swansea.

Cod

is

frequent-

specific characters

"

brown with golden spots, beneath white, thickly

covered with minute dusky specks
upper jaw longest."
"
inches
The
are,

pale

description

Body

is,

arched on the back, a

little

eighteen

long, slightly

prominent on the belly, covered

above with numerous gold-yellow roundish spots,

beneath

with dusky specks, which are stellate under a glass

large, gradually sloping

upper jaw,

teeth small

in the lower a single

reddish, pupil black

row

double

nostrils

head

rows in the

in several

iris

chin with a single beard; nape with

a deep longitudinal groove

lateral

line

nearer the back,

curved as far as the middle of the second dorsal

growing
and tail
upper
brown, with obscure yellowish spots, and darker towards the
end ; lower ones tinged with green vent near the middle of
broader and whiter towards the end

fin,

fins

the body

scales small

speckled with brown

rays

all

of

them under a

gill-covers

glass minutely

of two pieces.

The

fin-

D.

Of the

14. 20. 18.

ventral fin the

divided a

"

P. 18

first

ray

V. 6
is

A. 19. 16

C. 36.

shorter than the second, .and

way down the tail even."

from G. morrhua in not having the

little

Differs

first

anal fin-

ray spinous, and in the lower jaw being considerably longer

from G. luscus

in the first
ray of the ventral fin

than the second

from G. ba?*batns

in

being shorter

wanting the seven

dis-

SPECKLED COD.
punctures on the lower jaw, in

tinct

the

first

165

its

small scales, and in

dorsal fin not ending in a long fibre

and from G.

and

callarius in not being spotted with brown,

in having

the lateral line white."

No

other record of this fish has appeared that I

Some

years

since,

am

aware.

obtained from a fisherman at the

mouth of the Thames

a fresh-caught example of a species of

morrhua, with the middle dorsal and the first anal fins short ;

the

body

as

deep for

its

length as the luscus

the length of

the head compared to the whole length of the fish as one to

Among

three.

the fishermen

it

was by some considered to

be an accidental deformity, with injury of the spine, and

their name for it was Lord-fish ; others said it was a fish

which they met with occasionally, and believed it distinct

from any other. A coloured drawing was made at the time,
but the fish was not preserved.
The fin-rays were as stated ;

and

be observed, on comparing the numbers, that they

do not differ very widely from those of the Common Cod.
it

will

D.

The

14. 19.

figure

18.

below

but carefully reduced

P. 14

is
:

V. 6

A.

17. 11.

to,

upper part of the head, back, and

mottled with two shades of brown

body

lighter

the belly white

high over the pectoral

C. 24.

taken from the drawing referred

fins,

fins

the sides

of the

the lateral line white, arching

the irides reddish orange.

GAD ID*..

166

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GAD1DJE.

THK WHITING.
Merlangus vulgaris, CUVIER, Regne An.

p. 332.

t. ii.

Whiting, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 195, sp. 91.

WILLUGHBY, p. 170. L. 5.

Gadus merlangus,

LINN^US.

BLOCH,

pt.

ii.

pi.

65.

Whiting, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

DON.

,,

Generic Characters.

The same

p. 255.

iii.

Brit. Fish. pi. 36.

as those of

Morrhua, except that they have

no barbule at the chin.

THE WHITING
flesh,

is

well

known

surpassing in delicacy that of

for the

excellence of

of the valuable family of fishes to which

pearly whiteness of

its

invalids

It
coast,

is

who

it

belongs

flaky muscles, added to

lightness as an article of food,

recommend

are unable to digest

its

any of the other species

more

caught in great abundance

it

its

the

extreme

particularly to

solid nutriment.

almost

all

round our

and may be traced from the Orkneys to Cape Clear.

several pounds'* weight have been caught as far

Whitings of

north as the Dogger

Bank

they have been taken also of

WHITING.
on the coast of Cornwall

size

nearly equal

167
and on the

Nymph Bank, along the extended line of the south coast

of Ireland.
In that country they have also been found
on the eastern coast from Waterford to Antrim, and from
thence north and west as far as

The

the year

through

Lough Foyle.

Whiting with lines

fishing for

but

the fish

is
pursued nearly all
most plentiful in the

is

months of January and February, when

shoals towards the

comes in large

it

shore for the purpose of depositing

its

spawn, and is taken in abundance within half a mile, and

seldom exceeding three miles, from land.
much larger

than

quantity
a

taken,

consumed while

is

is

portion

fresh

being frequently

easily preserved either

by

salting or

drying.

The Whiting

is

a voracious feeder,

and

nately any of the mollusca, worms,

fishes.

young

remember

small

Crustacea,

have taken several

to

from the stomach of a Whiting

seizes indiscrimi-

but

shifts its

Though

It appears to prefer

ground frequently

of other fishes, upon which

it

Sprats

and Mr. Couch has known

four full-grown Pilchards taken from the inside of a

that weighed four pounds.

and

Whiting

sandy banks,

in pursuit of the various fry

principally subsists.

occasionally occurring in the

three or four pounds' weight, the

London market of

most usual

from

size is

twelve to sixteen inches in length, and weighing about one

pound and a

The
alone

half.

length of the head compared to that of the body

is

as

one to three

the depth of the body not equal to

the length of the head, or compared to the whole length as

one to

six.

The

first

dorsal begins behind the line of the

origin of the pectorals

and before the

line of the vent

the

second dorsal and

anal fins end on the same line

the

first

third dorsal and second anal fins begin

and end on the same

GADID.E.

168
plane

the ventral fins are placed very forward

ray elongated
dle of the

the anal aperture

dorsal fin

first

behind the vent

The

the

the

tail

is

first

in a line

anal fin

elongated

the second

under the mid-

commencing just

the end nearly square.

fin-rays are

D.

13. 19. 18.

The body

P. 19

V. 6

A. 31. 20.

C. 30.

Vertebrae 55.

of the Whiting, like the bodies of those be-

longing to this division,

the Codfish

is

the scales

longer for
small,

depth than that of

and deciduous
the

its

oval,

dark and straight posteriorly, but rising gradually

throughout the anterior half ; the head elongated ; the mouth
lateral line

the tongue white and smooth ; the

and gape large
upper
jaw decidedly the longest, with one row of large and sharppointed teeth on the outer edge, and several rows of smaller
;

ones within
circular line

mucous

the vomer with a few teeth arranged in a semi-

on the anterior part

orifices

sharp teeth along

mouth

is

the lower jaw with various

along the under surface, and a single row of

the upper outer edge, which,

closed, range within the outer

when the

row of teeth on the

the eye in breadth less than one-fourth of the

upper jaw
head, and placed more than its breadth from the end of the
:

The upper part

of the head and the back above the lateral line pale reddish

nose

the irides silvery

ash brown

and dorsal
white

the pupils blue.

and belly silvery white ; pectoral, caudal,

pale brown; ventral and anal fins almost

sides
fins,

the pectoral fins each with a decided dark patch at

the base.

COALFISH.

169

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADIDJE.

THE COALFISH.
Merlangus carbonarius, CUVIER, Regne An.
,,

,,

Gudus

,,

>,

,,

FIEM.

Coalfish,

,,

Cotefish,

t. ii.

Brit.

p. 332.

An.

WILLUGHBY,

p.

195, sp. 93.

p. 168, L. 3.

LINN^US.
Coalfish,

,,

THE COALFISH

is

BLOCK, pt. ii.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 13.

pi. 66.

p. 250.

most decidedly a northern

being a hardy species,

is

fish,

but,

not without considerable range

It was the only fish found by Lord

on
the
shores
of Spitzbergen
and the fry, only
Mulgrave
four or five inches in length, were caught with the trawlto

the southward.

net on the west coast of Davis's Straits, during the

voyage of Captain Sir Edward Parry.

the northern seas and in the

swarm

in

the Orkneys,

summer and autumn

Baltic,

It

abounds

first

in all

and may be said to

all the months of

where the fry

are the

great

support of the poor.

Dr. Neill, in his tour of the islands of Orkney and Shetland,

saw an old man, and perhaps one or two boys, seated

upon almost every projecting rock, holding in each hand a

wand or fishing-rod, and catching young Coalfish as fast as
they could bait their hooks.
VOL.

II.

GADID.E.

170

As
than

an

when

from

of food,

article

of large
to

fifteen

size.

flesh of
is

pounds

thirty

more prized when small

is

it

The

specimens weighing

usually preserved,

either

salted or dried.

This

fish

has more provincial names than any other sperefer to it when of a particular

some of which only

cies,

Scotch

the

Among

size.

Coalfish

the

islands

is

called

Cooth or Kuth, Harbin, Cudden, Sethe,

In Edinburgh and about the Forth

Sillock, Piltock,

Sey, and Grey-Lord.

the

young

are called

Podleys

at

Newcastle the fry are

called Coalsey
and, when twelve inches long, Poodlers.
Many are caught along shore and frequently, also, from a
boat rowed gently, the angler using a rod in each hand, and
;

trailing a fly

from each line.

" It is

Mr. Couch

says,

in

the highest condition from

October to December, at which season

in

large companies

so that

it

prowls after prey

when met with they prove a

though but coarse

food, yet being wholesome, substantial, and cheap, they
valuable capture to the fishermen

for

by the poor either fresh or salted.

swim
at
no
They
great depth, and with great rapidity ;
but when attracted by bait, will keep near a boat until all
are taken ; and I have known four men with two boats,

are

eagerly purchased

two men in each boat, take twenty-four hundred weight

with lines in a very few hours.
The season for spawning
fish becomes
; immediately after which this
be worthless, in which state it continues through
the summer."

is

early in spring

so lank as to

In the Orkneys, according to Mr. Low, the young appear

May ; in the Tyne, about June ; and on the Cornish

about

coast in July.

The

adult fish are called

the Cornish fishermen

Rauning Pollacks

rauning being the ancient and

even the popular modern
pronunciation of ravening, used in

by

reference to
voracity.

COALFISH.

The

Wa-

traced on the Irish coast from

may be

Coalfish

171

under the various

terford along the eastern shore to Belfast,

names of Black Pollack, Blockin, and Grey-Lord.

When detained and well fed in a salt-water pond, Coalfish

acquire

"

size.

large

They were bold and

slowly and majestically,

floating about

thrown to them

this

till

familiar;

some food was

they seized voraciously, whether

it

ship-biscuit.
They would also
the
food from the
and
take
occasionally approach
margin

consisted of shell-fish or

hand."

Jesse's Gleanings.

From

the point of the lower jaw to the end of the oper-

culum the length

body and

to that of the

is

.tail

as

one to

three and a half ; the depth of the

length of the head

the

body about equal to the

dorsal fin begins behind the line

first

of the origin of the pectoral fin and before the line of the

vent

the second dorsal and the

nearly on the same plane

fins

nearly parallel

the rays forked

anal fins

end together

the fleshy portion of the

the ventral fins small

tail

elongated

and the rays of the

only extending as far as the line of the vent.

pectoral fin

The

first

the third dorsal and second anal

fin-rays are

D.

11. 20. 20.

P. 19

The head and body

and oblong

V. 6

A. 24.

elegantly shaped

19.

C. 32.

the scales small

the lateral line silvery white and nearly straight ;

the upper part of the head and the back above the lateral
line almost black

much

lighter in colour

below the

line,

becoming greyish white with golden reflections on the sides

and belly ; pectoral, caudal, and dorsal fins, bluish black ;
ventral

and anal

the shortest

black

fins

greyish white

the upper jaw rather

the lips tinged with purple red

the teeth very small

pupil blue.

the

mouth

the irides silvery white

the

GAUIU.E.

172

SUBBRACH1AL
MALACOPTERYG1L

GAU1DE.

THE POLLACK.
WHITING POLLACK.
Merlangus pollachius,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 333.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 195,

sp. 92.

Pollack,

,,

Whiting Pollack, WILI.I <.HUY,

,,

Gadus

LYTHE, Scotland.

LINNUS.

,,

Pollack,

BLOCK,

pt.

ii.

pi.

p. 167.

68.

I'ENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

Whiting Pollack, DON. Brit. Fish.

THE POLLACK

much

is

the coast than the Coalfish

habitant of the seas

all

less
;

p.

254.

pi. 7.

abundant on some parts of

is an in-

but, like that species,

round our shores.

" Natural
History of the Orkneys,"

says,

Mr. Low, in
"
are

They

quently caught close in with the shore, almost

and

among

his
fre-

the

deep holes among the rocks.

They seem
to be a very frolicsome fish ; and I have been several times
sea-ware,

fishing for

them when they would keep

in the water.
to

in

They

bite keenly,

a constant plashing

scarce allowing the

be in the water before one or other jumps at

are better eating than

the Coalfish

but

it.

hook

They

do not know

whether they are ever dried or preserved otherwise, as the

Hand-line fishing
quantity caught is scarce worth curing."
for Pollacks

is

called whiffing.

POLLACK.
This

fish is called

Lythe

but whether this term

or

pliant activity,

in Scotland, as already

intended to refer to

is

quoted

its

derived from lithos, a stone,

is

rocks, I have

among
mens of the Pollack

living

173

not seen stated.

are taken about

supple,

from

its

Fine speci-

the rocky coast of

Scarborough, where they are called Leets.

The

Pollack

caught at

is

Colonel Montagu says

where

it is

it

Hastings

bought by the inexperienced

only twelve or fourteen

and

Weymouth.

frequently taken in Devonshire,

is

as

Whiting.

When

inches long, the flesh possesses a

considerable portion of the pearly appearance and delicacy

of that

fish.

Mr. Couch
our most

" The Pollack

says,

common

in pursuit of

prey

fishes,

and

but

it

it

is

is

at all seasons

one of

not gregarious except

rarely wanders far from its usual

haunts, which are along the edges of rocks, where, with the

head directed towards the coming

prey that approaches.
a

station

covered

The

tide,

it

is

ready for any

smaller ones, which occupy such

with oreweed,

have their colours

very

and the belly of a saffron yellow ; while on clean

ground they are less brilliant. In summer evenings, they
bright,

are often seen eager in pursuit of the Sandlaunce, frequently

spring from their element, and are often taken

from the rocks and

piers.

The

by

anglers

Pollack spawns in winter

and the young abound near the edge of the

rocky ground at the beginning of summer."
In Ireland, the Pollack may be traced as occurring on

near the land

tide in

the coast of the counties of Cork, Waterford, Dublin,

trim, Londonderry,

An-

and Donegal, under the names of Pol-

and Lythe.
length of the head compared to that of the body is as
three and a half; the depth of the body is to the

lack, Laith,

The
one to

whole length of the

fish as

one to four and a half

the

first

174

GADID.E.
as in the Coalfish,

dorsal fin begins,

origin of the pectoral fin,

of the vent

on the same

behind the line of the

and before the

line of the situation

the second dorsal fin and the

line

first

anal fin

begin and end very nearly on the same plane

fin

ray of each of the dorsal

very small
the

first

slender

end

the third dorsal fin and the second anal

fins

the longest

the

the ventral

first

fin

the anal aperture in a line under the middle of

dorsal fin

the fleshy portion of the

The

the end of the rays concave.

tail

long and

fin-rays in

num-

ber are
D.

The

12. 19.

lower jaw

red, with various

very

15.

is

P. 19

much

mucous

the sclerotic coat

V. 6

A. 24. 16

the longest

orifices

cartilaginous

the operculum produced;

the

the

about them
;

C. 31.

mouth and
;

the irides

lips
sil-

the upper angle of

body elongated; the upper

part of the head and the back above the lateral line olive

brown

the sides dull silvery white mottled with

yellow, and

in

young fish spotted with dull red ; the lateral line dusky,
curved over the length of the
pectoral fin, then descending

and passing in a straight line to the tail ; the dorsal fins and
tail brown ;
the pectoral and anal fins brown
edged and
tinged with reddish orange.

GREEN

COD.

175

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

GADIDJE.

THE GREEN
Merlangus

,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 33.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 195, sp. 94.
LINN^US.

,,

Green Cod, PENN.

virens,
,,

Gadus

THE GREEN COD

Cullum, Bart.
it

is

was

Brit. Zool. vol.

first

iii.

p.

253.

added to the catalogue of

Sir Robert

by Pennant, on the authority of

British Fishes

doubted,

COD.

a distinct species, which some have

and

if

not

only abundant, but has an extensive

range.
It

is

mentioned

as an inhabitant of the northern seas

Linnaeus and others, and

is

by

included in the recently pub-

lished works of Professors Nilsson

and Reinhardt, who have

devoted particular attention to the fishes of Scandinavia.

Dr. Neill says it is taken in the Frith of Forth during

summer

and Mr. Couch obtains

it

on the Cornish coast of

eight or ten inches in length.

fish is by some considered as the young of the Coaland by others as the young of the Pollack. It appears,
however, to be decidedly distinct from the Pollack, in hav-

This

fish,

GADID.E.

176

in the Pollack the

ing its jaws nearly equal in length
the lateral line in the
under jaw is by much the longest
:

Green Cod

is

the whole

curved over

MS.

in his

Couch,

straight,

which

it

length of the pectoral

considers the

the Coalfish, with which

ticulars in

Pollack the lateral line

the

in

differs

Green Cod

fin.

as the

Mr.

young of

both the parfrom the Pollack, but differs also

it

certainly agrees in

decidedly in colour from the Coalfish.

It

in itself the colouring of the Pollack with

seems to combine

some of the pecu-

of the Coalfish, but appears also to be deeper for

liarities

is

its

the young of a large species,

length than either; though
judging by analogy, that would not be the case.
Following the example of the Northern naturalists, who
if

have opportunities of making constant comparison between

and the Coalfish from the abundance of both, and

this fish

who have

them

hitherto considered

distinct, the

here allowed a separate place.

The

ing by Mr. Couch, whose opinion

is

is

figure

Green Cod

from a draw-

is

entitled to attention

and the subject invites the investigation of those who are so

located as to be able to obtain specimens of both.

Not

possessing a specimen, the description here given

derived from the

jaw

Prodromus of M. Nilsson.

scarcely longer than the

upper

the lateral line straight, white

green, passing

From

M.

the

tail

deeply forked

into silvery grey on the sides.

Nilsson gives

and adds that

The number
D.

it

it

a length from two to three

in winter.

spawns

of fin-rays as given

13. 20. 19.

Dr. Fleming adds,

strong."

the colour of the back dark

six to twelve inches is the usual size allowed to the

Green Cod
feet,

by degrees

is

The under

P. 17

V. 6

"Teeth

by Linnaeus
:

A. 24. 20.

in the

C. 40.

upper jaw, numerous,

HAKE.

177

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADIDM.

THE HAKE.
Merluciusvulgaris,
,,

,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 333.

Common Hake, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 195,

sp. 95.

The Hake, WILLUGHBY, p. 174.

Gadus

merlucius,

,,

,,

LINNSUS.

The head

Generic Characters.

nished with two dorsal fins

fin,

also very long

THE HAKE
large

BLOCH, pt. v. pi. 164.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 28.

Hake,

the

no barbule

is

flattened
first

short,

the

p. 257.

body elongated

the second long

the back fur-

but one anal

at the chin.

another of the species belonging to this

and valuable family of

fishes,

which has an extensive

range, being found in the seas of the

North of Europe, and

also in the Mediterranean.

Though

inhabiting the seas of the western coast of

way, and included by Linnaeus in his

Fauna

Nor-

Suecica, Dr.

Fleming says it is rare in Scotland and it appears to be

most abundant along the southern coast of England.
Ports;

mouth market

receives an

abundant supply, which is brought

by fishing-boats from the Devonshire coast ; and Montagu
says there is also an abundance in the market of Plymouth.

According

to

Mr. Couch, " The Hake

is

a roving fish

GADID,E.

178

coast, without

on the Cornish

much

regularity in

its

move-

From January to April, which is its season for

ments.
the bottom, and loses the great
spawning, it keeps near
it is characterised at other times, so that
which
voracity by
multitudes of them are caught in trawls, and but few with

when Pilchards approach the shores, it follows

them, continuing in incalculable numbers through the wina line

but,

It rarely

ter.

without

happens that Pilchards are taken in a scan

and thus,
;

many Hakes being enclosed with them

when the net remains

in

the water for several days, they

have an opportunity of glutting themselves to their hearths

desire, which is to such an extent as to render them helpless,

and

have seen seventeen Pilchards taken from the stomach

Hake

Their digestion, however, is

and fisherquick, so that they speedily get rid of their load
of a

of ordinary

size.

men

observe that,

when hooked,

ates the contents of the

that

when hundreds

stomach to

are taken with a line,

rejection

traced nearly

a recent writer,

the

maps

Nymph Bank

in

does

not

Bay

this

name

place

round the coast of

Bay

bay

of Hakes.

off the coast of

with lines in one night.

fish,

so

when near
take

of Galway, that,

named

is

On

It

a voracious

of merlucius, Seapike, implies.

by

by

six

men

fish, as its sys-

It is a coarse

not admitted at the tables of the wealthy

quantities are annually preserved both

some

fish is also

Waterford, this

is

in

part of the

that

so plentiful, that one thousand have been taken

tematic

the midst of

stomach

all

so abundant in the

is

according to

its

escape

dragged on board."

The Hake may be

Ireland; and

ancient

this

however,

until after they are

presently evacu-

facilitate its

prey, not one will have anything in

the surface,

Hake

the

salting

but large

and drying,

part of which are exported to Spain.

The Hake

is

very

common on

the northern shore of the

HAKE.

179

Mediterranean, and considerable

this

fish

to the towns

traffic

carried on with

is

packed with aromatic plants, and sent

they are

removed from the

scribed and figured

The Hake
and was known

coast.

by Rondeletius,

de-

is

to the

older naturalists before him.

Hake

of three feet eight inches long in the shop of

a London fishmonger,

in

May

1835, supplied the means

The

of obtaining the following particulars.

length of the

head, compared to the length of the body alone, as one

to three

the depth of the body not so great as the length

of the head
pectorals

the ventral fins are placed in advance of the

the rays not unequally elongated

commence

the pectoral

under the posterior angle of the

the
rays ending with the end of the first dorsal
operculum ;
dorsal
fin itself short and triangular in shape ;
first
the
fin

fins

in a line

the second dorsal

commences

fin

in a

line over the vent

begins immediately behind the vent ; both the

second dorsal fin and the anal fin terminate on the same
the anal

plane,

fin

near the

tail

the rays strong and

rays about three inches long,

in

number

stiff:

and nearly even.

the caudal

The

fin-rays

are

D.

The head

10. 29.

is

gill-covers black

P. 11

depressed
;

V. 7

A. 21

sharp, in a single row in each jaw

The

throughout the posterior

C. 19.

the inside of the

lower jaw the longest

a dark outer circle.

the irides yellow with

lateral line of

half,

mouth and

teeth slender and

the body straight

then gradually rising to the

upper edge of the operculum ; the appearance of the lateral

line is that of one white line between two dark ones
the
:

scales large

beneath

fins pale

body dusky brown above, lighter

and caudal fins dark
ventral and anal

colour of the

dorsal

brown.

180

GADIDF.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTER YGIL

GAD1D&.

THE

LING.

Lota molva,

CUVIER, Regne An.

Asellus tojigns,

WILLUGHBY,

Gadus molva,
,,

LINX.T.US.

p.

t. ii.

BI.OCII, pt.

ii.

pi.

Ling, FINN. Brit. Zool. vol.

,,

DON.

,,

69.
iii.

p.

262.

Brit. Fish. pi. 102.

Common Ling,

Molra rnlgaris,

333.

p.

175, L. 2.

FI.EM. Brit. An. p. 192, sp. 82.

In addition to the elongated body, with two dorsal fins

possessed by the species of Merlucius last described, may be
added, chin with one or more barbules.
Generic Characters,

and one anal

fin,

THE LING

is

a very valuable species,

than the Coalfish or the Cod.

among

the

Western

Yorkshire coast;

and

The

be

may

fishing

Islands, in

in

Cornwall,

traced
for

nearly

them

is

all

Large quantities are taken

the Orkneys, and on the

and

the

round

quantity
requited.

but

the

cured, and

The

demand
the

generally

Irish

coast.

long-lines

fresh, the fish are

in

brine, washed,

falls

short

of

the

hardy fishermen are but poorly

ports of Spain are the markets

and so valuable an

Islands;

Scilly

the

by hand-lines and

and besides a portion that is consumed

split from head to tail, cleaned, salted
and dried

so

scarcely less

article of

supplied;

commerce was Ling considered

formerly, that an act for regulating the price of Ling, Cod,

&c. was passed as early as the reign of

Edward

the Third.

LING.

The

181

popularly called Sounds, are prepared

air-bladders,

separately, and, with those of the Codfish, are sold pickled.

The

roes,

which are of large

size,

preserved in brine, are sold to

are also used as food, or,

be employed to

attract fish.

Another produce of the Ling is the oil extracted from the

liver, which is used by the poor to supply the cottage lamp ;
and

as a medicine,

Mr. Couch

says,

which those who have

been able to overcome the repugnance arising from its nauseous smell and taste, have found effectual in severe cases
of rheumatism,

when taken

in small beer in doses of

from

half an ounce to an ounce and a half.

to sixty gallons of this oil,

Formerly from fifty

and that from the liver of the

Codfish, were dispensed in one large establishment for this

purpose, and

was increased.

whom
with

it

it

was found to act best when the perspiration

The

exudation from the skin of those to

was administered always became strongly tainted

it.*

In Zetland, the principal fishing for Ling is from May to

On the Yorkshire coast, the young are called
August.
Drizzles.

In Cornwall they are caught in January and

their favourite haunts are about the margins

February, and

of the rocky valleys of the ocean.

The Ling

is

exceedingly

and of most voracious appetite, feeding on young

not sparing anything that has life, and the prey is

prolific,
fish,

swallowed whole, so that no great art

is

required to catch

it.

and survives great injury. " I once,"

"
saw a Ling that had swallowed the usual
says Mr. Couch,
large hook, shaft foremost, of which the point had fixed in
It is tenacious of life,

the stomach, and as the line drew

it,

it

turned round, en-

tered the opposite side of the stomach, and fastened the

organ together in complicated folds

yet having escaped

* Memoirs of the
Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester,
and Dr. Bardsley's Medical Reports, 8vo. 1807, p. 18.

vol.

by
iii ;

182

GADIDJE.

breaking the line,

survived to swallow another hook and

it

be taken several days after."

The most usual length of the Ling is from three to four
feet ; Pennant mentions having heard of one which measured seven feet

and Mr. Couch has known them weigh

seventy pounds.

Not having an

opportunity of describing from a specimen,

by permission, the description of the Rev. Mr.

copy,
Jenyns, as given in his Manual of the British Vertebrata,

page 458, species

"

Body

roundish

33.

slender,

more elongated than

head

flat

gape large

upper, with a single barbule at

that of the

Hake

lower jaw shorter than the

its

extremity

teeth in the

upper jaw small, and very numerous ; those in the lower

lateral
jaw longer and larger, forming but a single row
:

line straight

scales small, firmly adhering to the skin

dorsal fins of equal height

the

first

two

commencing

short,

near the head, not pointed as in the Hake, but with most

of the rays even

second long, immediately behind the

first,

the posterior portion

the

caudal

reaching nearly to the

most elevated

vent in a line with the eighth or ninth ray

of the second dorsal

fin

anal

fin

long, resembling the second dorsal

the same line with

" The

it

caudal

immediately behind
fin,

rounded

at the

extremity.

fin-rays are

D.

15. 65.

" The back and

P. 15

V. 6

A. 97

white

C. 39.

sides grey, inclining to olive

cinereous, without the olivaceous tinge

trals

it,

and terminating on

dorsal

and anal

sometimes

belly silvery

edged with

white

marked near the end with a transverse black bar

treme tip white."

ven-

caudal
the ex-

BURBOT.

183

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADID&.

THE BURBOT.
BUEBOLT.

EELPOUT.
Lota vulgaris, Burbot, JENYNS,
,,

,,

WILLUGHBY,
Gadus

lota,

Man.

CUVIER, Regne An.

LINNJEUS.

Brit. Vert. p. 448, sp. 134.

t. ii.

p. 334.

ii.

pi. 70.

125.

BLOCK,

pt.

Burbot, PENN. Brit. Zool. p. 265.

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 92.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 192,

Molva

THE BURBOT

is

sp. 83.

the only British species of this numerous

family of fishes that lives permanently in fresh water, and

prefers in this country slow running rivers
so generally

but

is

neither

known, nor so much esteemed and encouraged,

as

from the goodness of its flesh it deserves. It is said to be

found in various parts of the North of Europe, Siberia, Asia,

and India.

In

It occurs in
country it is rather local.
the Cam, and in some of the rivers of Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
is
is

in

this

The Trent produces

it,

and Nottingham market

occasionally supplied with examples for

said to contain the

Burbot, and so

sale.

the counties of Yorkshire and Durham

The Tame

do several

also
;

as the

rivers

Ouse, the

184

GADID.E.

Esk, the Skern, near Mainsforth, which afterwards runs into

the Tees near Croft Bridge, and the Derwent.

The Burbot

not unlike the Eel in some of

is

its

habits,

under stones, waiting and watching for its

prey, consisting of aquatic insects and young fish, under
arches and near eddies, into which such small and weak
concealing itself

animals are likely to be brought by the current of the water.

It feeds principally during the night

and, like the Eel,

most frequently caught by trimmers and night-lines.

The Burbot is sometimes called Coney-fish, from

its

is

habit

of lurking and hiding itself in holes like a rabbit.

It
life,

is
very tenacious of
spawns in February or March
and is said to have lived a considerable time in a
;

cold situation, fed on small fishes and raw meat.

damp and
In

this

country

has been

it

four pounds and a half

known

to attain the weight of

common

but a more

about

size is

two pounds weight.

Pennant mentions one taken in the
In the Lake of
Trent which weighed eight pounds.

Burbot was introduced

Geneva, into which

it

from Neufchatel,

has been taken of seven pounds'* weight.

The

it

is

stated the

and of good flavour, by some conthat of the Eel ; and as the Burbot is in

flesh is white,

firm,

sidered superior to

nature extremely hardy,

its

selves in

the

way

few

difficulties

present them-

of their increase in quantity, while the

value of the fish would

of the

amply repay the trouble or the cost

It would probably thrive well and

experiment.

multiply in large lakes.

Length from one

jaws equal

to

two

feet

small teeth above and below

opening large
the

body

as

the head depressed, smooth ;

chin with one barbule

the gape large, with

eyes of moderate size

gill-

the length of the head compared to that of

one to four

compressed posteriorly.

the form of the

The

first

body

dorsal fin

is

cylindrical,

small and

BURBOT.
rounded

185

the second elongated, reaching nearly to the

both dorsal

tail

nearly uniform in height ventral fins placed

and pointed ; the pectoral fins large
narrow
very forward,
and rounded ; the anal fin begins on a line behind the
fins

commencement of the second

on the same plane
fin-rays in

number
D.

The

the

dorsal fin, but ends very nearly

tail oval,

and

slightly pointed.

The

are
P. 20

14.

colour of the

V. 6

A. 67

C. 36.

body yellowish brown, clouded and

spotted with darker brown, and covered with a mucous secretion

the under parts lighter

straight

part

scales small

of the

II.

the lateral line indistinct and

the fins partaking of the colour of the

body from which they emanate, those of the

lower surface being

VOL.

much

the lightest.

186

GADID.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

GADID&.

THE THREE-BEARDED ROCKLING.

SEA LOCHE.
Motella vulgaris,

CUVIER, Regne An.

tricirrata,

,,

- WHISTLE-FISH.

,,

t. ii.

p. 334.

NILSSON, p. 48.
Three-Bearded Rockling, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert.

p.

449,

sp. 135.

WII.LUGHBV,

p. 121,

Mustela marina,

Rockling,

Gadus

tricirratns,

BLOCH,

mustela,

Three-Bearded Cod,

RAY, Syn.

pt. v. pi.

H.

4, fig. 4.

p. 164, sp. 9, fig. 9.

165.

PENN.
pi.

Rockling,

DON.

Brit. Zool. vol.

p. 267,

Brit. Fish. pi. 2.

Three-Bearded Cade, FLEM. Brit. An.

tricirratus,

iii.

36.

p. 193, sp. 86.

Generic Characters.
the

first

tible;

Body elongated, cylindrical, compressed posteriorly ;

dorsal fin very slightly elevated, delicate in structure, scarcely percep-

second dorsal and anal

fins long,

continued nearly to the base of the

THE THREE-BEARDED ROCKLING,

included

tail.

by the

Rev. Mr. Jago in his Catalogue of the rarer Fishes of Cornwall, and published by Ray, with a figure, at the end of
his Synopsis,

though not uncommon on the Devonshire and

Cornish coasts, as noticed by Colonel Montagu and ] Mr.

Couch,

is

more

rare

on our shores generally than the Five-

THREE-BEARDED ROCKLING.
Bearded Rockling, of which by some
only as

a variety.

It frequents

187

has been considered

it

rocky ground that

is

well

sea-weed, among which it threads its way

with great ease and rapidity.
Besides the localities mentioned, it has been taken also at Weymouth, in Belfast Bay,

furnished with

and

The

in the vicinity of Carlisle,

individual figured

tation of this fish

is

probably in the Sol way Frith.

by Willughby, whose

early represen-

was obtained by him at

very good,

Chester.

Of

its

Mr. Couch

habits,

on aquatic

water, feeds

insects,

"
says,

and

not commonly used as food, because

of a few hours.

in the course

but when the

it

It

lying perfectly

upper jaw
the same purposes as the antennae in

not

all,

it is

all

before
fins

the fins are

barbules on the

and probably serve

1 ''

insects.

spawns in autumn ; but other observers

deposits its spawn in winter, like most of,

Bloch says that

if

with the

and

The

are always extended in front,

it

but

not easy to explain

still,

at rest, this is often in rapid motion.

consider that

smells unpleasantly

it
is

common

has nothing in

fish is

keeps in shallow

membrane behind the head and

the use of the fringed

the dorsal fin

It

will take a bait

it

those of the same family.

Pennant, in his account of the Five-Bearded Rockling,

" The Cornish fishermen are said to
whistle, and make

says,

use of the words bod, bod, vean,

taking this
in the

same manner

Mamassu

di

Swordfish."
to

fish,

as if

by

when they

are desirous of

that they facilitated the capture,

as the Sicilian

fishermen repeat their

pajanu, &c. when they are in pursuit of the

But

this

name of Whistle-fish

was, according

Jago's Catalogue, attached to the Rockling with three

barbules only, and even

among them was but

applied to the larger specimens.

Pennant,

it

occasionally
will

served, speaks of the cause of the application of the

be ob-

name of

188

GADID.E.

Whistle-fisli on tlie authority of others

and on inquiry,

custom of whistling when fishing is neither

nor
known
to the Cornish fishermen of the present
practised
day, and, in fact, that this fish is of too little value to be
find that the

I believe, indeed, that while

an object of any solicitude.
the
the
sound
of
name, the term has been changed,
preserving

and a very different word substituted, and that for WhistleBoth the Three and
fish we ought to read Weasel-fish.
the Five Bearded Rocklings were called mustela from the

days of Pliny to those of Rondeletius, and thence to the

present time.

specimen fourteen inches long, and beautifully spotted,

The
was presented to the Zoological Society in 1832.
finest examples of this species I have seen were two given

me

in

December 1834, by Dr. Thackeray, the Provost of

King's College, Cambridge, from the largest of which, measuring seventeen inches in length, the wood-engraving was
executed, and the following description taken.

The

length of the head compared to the length of the

body alone, without the caudal

rays, is as

one to four

depth of the body equal to the length of the head

dorsal fin delicate in structure
rest hair-like

the

first

the

the

first

ray elongated, the

the second dorsal fin commencing immediately

behind the end of the

first,

and reaching along the back to

tail, but ending a little short of the base of the caudal

ventral fins with the first two rays elongated, the
rays

the

second the most so, the two disunited

nearly equal, united, and short

rounded

the other five rays

pectoral fins rather large and

the vent half-way between the point of the chin

and the end of the fleshy portion of the tail the anal
commences immediately behind it, is one-fourth less
;

fin

in

length than the second dorsal, and ends on the same plane

with

it

the

tail

moderate in

size,

and rounded

at the end.

THREE-BEARDED ROCKLING.
The

fin-rays in

2nd D.

The head

is

number

are

20

55. P.

depressed

V. 7

the

A.

49.

one barbule at the chin

jaw

mouth wide

equal, but when separated the lower jaw

in each

is

C.

the longest, with

the upper lip crenate

the
is

and

a mixture of small

large teeth

the upper jaw with one barbule on each side

portion of the

pressed

18.

the jaws nearly

the middle, between the lip and the nostril

and head

189

the irides golden yellow

body of the

tail

fish

compressed

inner part of
;

the anterior

cylindrical, or slightly de-

the general colour of the body

a rich yellow brown,

spotted on the top of the

head, along the back, the pectoral, dorsal, and caudal

with rich chesnut brown

ventral and anal

fins,

fins,

the lower part of the sides, the

pale yellow brown, approaching to

white, and without spots.

Young

fish

of this species are of a uniform brown colour

until they have acquired six

this condition

they are the

or seven inches in length; in

Mustela alia of Ray.

JDO

GADID.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADIDJE.

THE FIVE-BEARDED ROCKLING.

Motelta quinqiiecirrata , CUVIER,
mustela,

,,

Regne An.

t. ii.

Five-Bearded Rockling,

p.

334, note.

Man.

JENYNS,

Vert.

Brit.

p. 450, sp. 136.

Mustela vulgaris,

WILLUGHBY,

Gadus

LINNSUS.

mustela,

p. 121.

Five-Bearded Cod, PENN. Brit. Zool.

pi.

vol.

iii.

p.

268,

36.

DON.

Brit. Fish. pi. 14.

Cade, FLEM. Brit. An.

p. 193, sp. 85.

HAVE found the Five-Bearded Rockling, when of small

size, a very common fish on the Kentish coast in autumn,
I

left

by the

retiring tide,

in small pools

among

the rocks, and

generally lying concealed under the tufts of sea-weed that

hang over the edges of the stones into the water. I have
observed this fish as far to the westward as Portland Island.
Colonel

Montagu considered

it

more

rare in

Devonshire than

the species with three barbules at the mouth, last described

Mr. Couch observes

it

on the Cornish shore:

taken at Dublin and Belfast

mon

in

Orkney, where

it is

and Mr.

Low

it

says

has been
it

is

com-

found under stones among sea-

weed, but seldom exceeding nine or ten inches in length.

FIVE-BEARDED ROCKLING.
Pennant says

it

191

attains the length of eighteen or nineteen

It spawns in the winter, and feeds

principally

inches.

"

They

says,

got in

are reckoned pretty

any quantity

In

ling,

it

by

the only me-

shifting the stones at

closely resembles the

low water,

Three-Bearded Rock-

them only

several naturalists consider

the same species.

tinct,

is

found with the Blennies."

are to be

habits

its

and

eating, but are never

never caught at a hook

thod of getting them

when they

good

on

Mr. Low

small thin-shelled Crustacea and young fishes.

as varieties of

them

Professor Nilsson regards

and follows Linnaeus in considering a

fish

as

dis-

with four

barbules also as a distinct species.

The

length of the head compared to the length of the

body alone,

is

as

one to four

than the length of the head

the depth of the body less

the shape of the body less cy-

than that of the Three-Bearded, and the nose more

lindrical

pointed

the position and elevation of the fins similar to

those of the fish last described, but the

first

ray of the

first

longer and more conspicuous, and the vent is

nearer the head than in that species, being less than half the
dorsal fin

is

distance from the nose to the end of the fleshy portion of

the

The

tail.

number

fin-rays in

2nd D. 52

P. 14

The body compressed

rather small, with a

V. 6

are

A. 40

C. 20.

the head depressed

band of small teeth

the

in each jaw,

mouth
and a

patch of similar teeth at the anterior part of the roof of the

mouth ; the under jaw the shortest, with a single barbule at
the chin

the upper lip plain, without crenation, with two

small barbules near the point of the nose, and two others, as

long again, about as

much

before and within the nostrils as

the nostrils are before and within the eyes.

and placed near the nose.

The

The

eyes small,

colour of the upper part of

GADID.E.

19

the head, back, and sides, uniform dark brown

the sides lighter brown

ventral fins,

lower part of

under surface of the lower jaw, the

and the belly

to the vent, white

dusky brown the course of the lateral line

by a series of short, slender white streaks,
;

the other fins

distinctly
as

marked

shown

in the

wood-engraving.

have been favoured by Dr. Richardson with the follow-

ing description of the appearance of a fine example of this

species

General colour of the body pale bronze, approach-

ing to that of jewellers'* gold, with streaks of purer gold co-

The

lour above the lateral line in the direction of the ribs.

upper parts of the head and the gill-covers yellowish brown,

blended on the cheeks with the bronze.

The

fins are also

of

a brownish orange or bronze colour, but without the metallic

and their margins are blood red the red tinge is more
general on the pectorals ; the irides silvery, the pupils blulustre,

ish black.

Both the

by

species last described have been called mustela

different authors.

Linnaeus attached this term to the

species with five barbules

identifies the

As

Cuvier, in the

Three-Bearded Rockling with

Regne Animal,
this

same word.

number of barbules appear to be constant in each, a

reference to the number in the specific name is, perhaps, the
the

least

objectionable.

Linnaeus,

and other authors

to

the

present time, continue, as before stated, to consider the northern species with four barbules as distinct from both.

MACKEBEL MIDGE.

193

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADID&.

THE MACKEREL MIDGE.

Mackerel Midge, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 451, sp. 137.
,,
COUCH, Zool. Journ. vol. i. p. 132.

Motella glauca,
Ciliata

,,

Mag. Nat.

,,

16,

MR. COUCH'S MS.

"

fig.

Hist. vol. v. p. 15

2,

and

and

p. 741.

account of this beautiful

little fish is

about one inch and a quarter in length,

moderately elongated ; head obtuse, compressed
upper jaw
the longest, with four straight barbules ; the under jaw with
as follows

It

is

one barbule

teeth in both jaws

membrane with seven

gill

rays eye large and bright ; a fringed membrane in a depression behind the head ; pectoral and ventral fins rather
large
for the size of the fish ; dorsal and anal fins
single, and reach;

ing near to the

bluish green

tail

scales deciduous

belly and

fins silvery.

of the species spoken of

by

colour on the back

This seems to be one

the older naturalists under the

name of apua; and which, from

their

minute

size,

and the

multitudes in which they sometimes appeared, they judged

to be produced

by spontaneous generation from the

I have assigned

and

is

to

it

is

that in use

descriptive of its colour

the smallest fish with which I

among our

and very minute

am

"
acquainted.

froth of

The name

the sea, or the putrefaction of marine substances.

fishermen,

size, for it is

194
" This

fish is

gregarious and migratory, never

appearance before May, after which

making

its

abundant from the

is

it

Its winter
edge of the shore to every part of the Channel.
in
the
water
but
in
summer
it
is
;
probably deep

station

keeps near the surface, and seeks the shelter of everything it

finds floating ;
a circumstance that often leads to its destruction,

for it is frequently

hauled on board boats among the

corks of nets, or with the line, or floating weeds

and

in a

storm they are often thrown into boats through the breaking
a circumstance which shows that at such seasons
of the sea,
they must be on the crest of the wave."

" This

fish

instantly on

dies

taken out

being

of the

water."

This small

fish,

with

much

of the appearance of being the

young of a larger species, and closely allied in form to the

Five-Bearded Rockling, presents in its economy some of the
Unlike the fish last described, which
attributes of a species.
is

very tenacious of

life,

this little fish, it

stantly on being taken out of the water

every summer, as might be expected if
so

common and

ling

local a species as the

and although present,

as

during the greater part of the

rapidly,

no increase

is

it is

it

is

was the young of

Five-Bearded Rockit

frequently said to be,

summer, when

observed in

said, dies in-

does not appear

its size.

fry

grow most

SILVERY GADE.

195

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADID&.

THE SILVERY GADE.

Motella argenteola,

YARRELL.

Gadus

Silvery Gade,

argenteolus,

MONTAGU, Mem. Wern.

Soc. vol.

ii.

pt. 2,

p. 449.

THE
fish

is

following

" There

Colonel Montagu's account of this small

a small species of

is

Gadus

sionally found on the western coast, that

the Three-Bearded

Cod (Rockling)

in

most

which

is

occa-

is

nearly allied to
particulars

but

the shape of the head and the colour are essentially different.
It has very

much

the appearance of the fry of

some

larger

species, and might have been suspected to be the young of

the Ling, had it not been for a little difference in the first

dorsal fin,

and the two

cirri

which

this has before the nostrils.

If a fourth cirrus could have been discovered,

would have

arisen whether

brius of Gmelin.

" With two

the

first

ray,

it

suspicions

might not have been the dm-

Its essential characters

may

stand thus

dorsal fins, the anterior very obscure, except

which

fore the nostrils,

much

the longest

and one on the chin

is

cirri three,

two be-

upper jaw longest

back bluish green ; sides and belly silvery.

" The head is obtuse
irides silvery
all the
; eyes lateral,
fish
is
of
fins are of a
whole
a
and
the
pale colour,
silvery
resplendence, except the back, which is blue, changeable
:

to dark green

eighteen rays

the pectoral fin

is

rounded with sixteen or

ventral, six or seven, the

ably the longest, and placed

much

middle ray consider-

before the pectoral

first

196

commences above the

and the rays are very

minute and obscure, the first excepted, but more than thirty
have been counted ; the second dorsal commences close to
dorsal fin

gills,

the other, in a line with the end of the pectoral, and terminates close to the caudal

the rays are innumerable

the anal

begins immediately behind the vent, and terminates even

fin

with the dorsal

the caudal

fin

is

nearly even at the end.

Length about two inches.

l(

first

noticed

many

of these fishes thrown upon* the

shore in the south of Devonshire, in the

and have taken two or three

since.

The

summer

of 1808,

fishermen called

it

Whitebait, but I afterwards found they had mistaken it for

the fry of Herring and Pilchard, which indiscriminately go
by that name, and are sold together in some places under

name of Herring-Sprat.
" The Three-Bearded Cod
(Rockling)

the

is

a very

common

species on the western coast, and which I have taken of all

sizes, from the most minute to its full growth of sixteen or
seventeen inches, and never observed it to vary in colour,

except as

it

grows large

out spots, which

inches, but

is

is

it

becomes more rufous and throws

never observed

invariably rufous

till it

brown

exceeds six or seven

in its infant state.""

worthy of remark, that this little fish, representing in

miniature the Three-Bearded Rockling, offers an instance
It

is

perfectly analogous to the representation in an equally dimi-

nutive size of the five-bearded species, by Mr. Couch's recent

discovery of the Mackerel Midge.

TORSK, OR TUSK.

197

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GAD1D&.

THE TORSK, OR TUSK.

Brosmius

vtilgaris,

Brosmus

Gadus

brosme,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 334.

Common Tusk, FLEM. Brit. An. p.
Torsk,

Scotch Torsk,

NILSSON, Prod.

,,

Generic Characters.

THE TORSK,

p. 269, pi. 37.

p. 47, sp. 14.

Body elongated

whole length of the back

194, sp. 90.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 70.

one barbule

OR TUSK,

a single dorsal fin, extending

at the chin

is

a northern species, which

only occasionally caught in the Forth,

the

ventral fins fleshy.

and

is

is

then brought

Edinburgh market. It is found more frequently in

Orkney Islands, and swarms among those of Shetland,

to the

the

makes a very considerable article in their fish trade.

caught with lines and hooks when fishing for Ling and

where
It

is

it

Cod, and

it

is

very firm

most people prefer

cured, swells
flakes.

and dried

salted

is

eaten fresh,

it

much

dry.
in

in the

same manner.

and rather tough

It

is

boiling,

which makes

one of the best

fishes

when

and parts into very thick

observed three examples of this

sixteen inches in length, in the

When

fish,

each about

London market, during

the

198
These were brought from the
month of January 1831.
The length assigned to this
North in the lobster-boats.
species

by M. Nilsson is from eighteen inches to two feet,

Mr. Low says the largest he had heard of

rarely three feet.

Mr. Donovan's specimen, which

half.
was brought alive to London in the well of a fishing-boat,
measured twenty-five inches.
was three feet and a

But
this

being known in the South of the habits of

an abridgment of Faber's account of it may be

little

fish,

interesting.

"

northern

scarcely occurring below

fish,

60 or above

not migrating regularly, and therefore rarely seen by

73;

Plentiful on the coasts of

the ichthyologists of the South.

Norway

as far as

Finmark, of the Faroe Islands, and the

west and south coasts of Iceland

coasts of Iceland.

Fabricius

rare

on the north and east

must be uncommon

It

only knew

it

from

in Greenland, as

of the

the report

natives.

Just touches the most northern point of Denmark, at Skagen

in Jutland,

where

it

is

sometimes taken

not at

all

in the

Approaches the land early in the year in shoals, that

south.

of Iceland in January

remains there in company with the

Five-Bearded, and goes away again late in summer. Lives

deep water, and is therefore seldom taken, even when it

most abundant.
weeds grow.

in its

stomach

has probably given rise to the saying, that

juice

of sea-weeds.

Spawns

fuci along the coast.

in April

and

is

on which sea-

Prefers a rocky bottom,

Never found anything

in

it

and

lives

May among

Is rarely taken with the

Cod

this

on the
the

hooks,

Sometimes taken by
the Norwegian fishermen among the Holibuts.
It must
more frequently

have

less

at

power of

congeners, as

it

is

the smaller lines.

resisting the violence of the sea than its

thrown up dead in incredible numbers on

the coasts of the Faroe Islands and the south coast of Ice-

TORSK, OR TUSK.
land after a storm.

Its

flesh

is

199

hard, bat well flavoured.

In Iceland seldom dried, but eaten

fresh.

Jan Olsen says

is
badly tasted, but when dried it is the
In Norway it is treated like the Stockfish, but
The hard roe, according
forms no branch of merchandise.

that the fresh flesh

best food.

to Pontoppidan,

has a good flavour.

Its

enemies are the

is much infested
by a worm which
and produces rounded swellings."
The description of this fish by Mr. Low is here adopted,
The measurements of the specimen
with slight modification.

Cod.

larger species of

forms a nidus in

its

It

skin,

was taken were the following

length twenty inches and a half: the greatest
breadth four and a half, which was taken at the end of the

from which

this description

" The whole

pectoral fin

at the vent four inches

half-way from the vent to the

something more than

two inches

tail,

at the tail,

one inch and a quarter the length of the head four inches ;
from the point of the nose to the commencement of the dorsal
:

fin,

six inches

inches

to the vent, eleven inches

length of the dorsal

from the point of the lower jaw

length of the anal

fin,

eight inches

fin thirteen

tail

something more

than two inches."

" The head small

barbule under the chin

the lower

to the fish, with a single

in proportion
:

the upper jaw very

in the jaws there are great

mouth

teeth,

and

much

in the shape of a horse-shoe

in the roof of the

runs from the nape to the

little

longer than

numbers of very small

a rough or toothed bone,

;

a pretty broad furrow

commencement of the

dorsal fin,

which runs the whole length of the back to within about an

inch of the tail ; the tail is rounded ; the anal fin begins at
the vent and ends at the

tail,

but

is

not joined with

it

the

rays of the dorsal and anal fins are numerous, but the softness of these and the thickness of the investing skin hinder

them from being counted with exactness

the edges of the

200

GADID.E.

dorsal, anal fin,

toral fins are

and

is

the rest dusky

the pec-

rounded, broad, and of a brown colour

ventrals small, thick,

to the vent

are white

tail,

and

roundish

fleshy,

ending in points

the

the

body

the belly from the throat growing

suddenly very prominent, continuing so to the vent, where it

becomes smaller to the tail ; behind the vent the body is
pretty much compressed the colour of the head is dusky ;
:

the back and sides yellow, which becoming lighter

is lost

in the white of the belly

discernible,

The

little

scarcely

fish, in

its

fin-rays, according to
:

P. 21

Mr. Donovan,
V. 5

till

passage backwards,

downwards, and runs straight to the

D. 49

The

degrees,

is

but runs nearer the back than the belly,

wards the middle of the

curves a

by

the lateral line

A. 37

tail."

are

C. 35.

vignette represents a fishing-boat of Cadiz Bay.

toit

GREAT FORKED BEARD.

201

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADID&.

THE GREAT FORKED BEARD.

FORKED HAKE.
Phycisfurcatus,

HAKE^S DAME, Cornwall.

Common Fork Beard, FLEM.

CUVIER, Regne An.

,,

t. ii.

Brit.

An.

p. 193, sp. 84.

p. 335.

Barbus major,
Great Forked Beard, RAY, Syn. 163, fig. 7.
Blennius physis, Forked Hake, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.
p. 259,

pi. 35.

Generic Characters.
Body elongated ; two dorsal fins, the first short, the
second long ; ventral fins with a single ray only at the base, afterwards divided ; chin with one barbule.

THE GREAT FORKED BEARD

the Cornish coast

was

first

discovered on

by Mr. Jago, and inserted by Ray, with a

figure, in his Synopsis, as

referred to.

taken on the coast of Flintshire.

Pennant's

fish

was

specimen appeared in
market in December 1833, which was caught near
Bowness communicated to me by T. C. Heysham, Esq.
Carlisle

and

this fish has also occurred at St.

as noticed in the sixth

nerian

Andrews

in Scotland,

volume of the Memoirs of the Wer-

Natural History Society, page 569.

It

is

obtained

occasionally in Cornwall.

VOL.

II.

202

GADID,E.

The

figure

liere

given

taken from a drawing by Mr.

is

MS. contains the following notice of

" The head flat on the
top, compressed at

Couch, whose
:

species

sides, small in proportion to the

them

in a depression before
est

teeth in both fine

barb at the lower jaw

which

tail,

is

elevated at

fins,

fins

the

first

long,

compressed, slender towards the

;

belly tumid

lateral line

body and head with scales

elevated and pointed second dorsal

afterwards low

first,

and anal

expanded,

the ventral fins simple

larger teeth on the palate

small in proportion

two dorsal

tail

body

the

body eyes large ; nostrils

mouth wide under jaw short-

some

this

bound down towards the

very long,

rays,

divided

forked, one of the divisions longer than the other;

spines before the anal fin

tail

rounded,

all

or

a few

the rays soft.

Colour of the sides and back dusky brown ; on the gillcovers sometimes greenish ; fins dusky purple, except the
ventrals

This

belly whitish.

fish

grows to the length of two

feet

in a

specimen

of this size the longest portion of the ventral ray was eight

and a

inches, the shortest five inches

" Hake^s Dame

known
but

come

the

to our fishermen.

have never seen

it

The number
1st

is

fish, in

is

not

half.

name by which alone this fish is

It is not uncommon in Cornwall ;
except in winter,

into shallow water to spawn.

used as food, but

It

is

much

when

it

seems to

It takes a bait,

esteemed.

and

is

1 '1

of fin-rays, according to Dr. Fleming, are

D. 10

desirable

2nd D. 62

to

P. 12

notice the

V.

specific

order to distinguish between

it

A. 56.

characters of this

and a Mediterranean

species of the same genus, which, according to Cuvier, is

the true Blennius
phycis of Linnaeus, and not the British
fish,

as

supposed by Pennant and others.

The

British fish

has

the

first

GREAT FORKED BEARD.

203

much

higher than the

dorsal

fin

triangular,

second, the anterior rays produced

long as

the

head.

the ventral rays twice as

The Mediterranean

possess a specimen, has the

first

fish,

dorsal fin low

of which I

and rounded,

very similar in character to that of the Burbot, as figured at

page 183 of

this

volume, with the ventral rays

description and

figure of this fish

much

is

shorter.

given by Willughby,
page 205, pi. N. 12, fig. 3.
I have not seen a specimen of the British Great Forked
Beard.

p 2

GADID

204

E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

GADIDM.

THE LESSER FORKED BEARD.

TRIFURCATED HAKE.

Trifurcated Hake, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 194, sp. 88.

89.
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,
,,

Jtaniceps trifnrcatus,

Jago,

,,
,,

TADPOLE FISH.

CCVIER, Regne An.

,,

Barbus minor,

Lesser Forked Beard,

t. ii.

p.

336.

RAY, Syn.

Forked Hake, PENN. Brit. Zool.

p. 164, sp. 8,
vol.

iii.

p.

fig.

8.

261.

Batrachoides trifnrcatus , Trifurcated Tadpole Fish, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

p. 272, pi. 38.

iii.

Generic Characters.
the

first

very small

small, the

first

Head depressed, body compressed ; two dorsal fins,

the second dorsal and the anal fins elongated ; ventral fins

two rays lengthened and separated.

DR. GEORGE JOHNSTON, of Berwick, in his address

members of the Berwickshire Naturalises Club, read

the

to
at

September 1832,* when

referring to the various species of fishes which had occurred
to him during the
previous twelvemonths, remarks at page 7
" Of the
Tadpole Fish, which is one of the rarest British
the

first

anniversary meeting

in

* See also Mr.

London's

Mag. Nat.

Hist. vol.

vi.

page 11.

LESSER FORKED BEARD.

and previously known only

species,

205

an inhabitant of the

as

shores of Cornwall, I had the pleasure of exhibiting to you

had been captured in Berwick Bay.

and when recently dead, the body appeared
everywhere smooth and even ; but after having lain three
days on a plate and become a little shrivelled, there ap-

a living specimen, which

When

alive,

peared an obscure row of tubercles, running backwards from

the pectoral

and these pea-like tubercles could be more

fins,

would

call

of Dr. Fleming
cles

is

the Raniceps trifurcatus

and R. Jago

derived from the presence of these tuber-

in the former, the lateral line

is

said to be tubercu-

the pectoral fins, in the latter it is said to

lated above

smooth

skin.

because the only good

attention to this fact,

distinction between

finger over the

by drawing the

readily distinguished

be

but here we have a specimen which when alive

when dead,

exhibits the character of Jago,

furcatus

and hence

am

that of the tri-

induced to think that both are

the same animal, having the tubercles more or less promi-

nent and obvious according to the leanness or other conditions of the body."

The

the point without possessing

difficulty of deciding

a specimen,

which the rarity of the

fish

rendered

almost

to follow Pennant
hopeless, probably induced Dr. Fleming
in

giving both names a

Animals.

The

place

description

in

his

of Mr.

History of British

Couch

is

quoted by

and the Lesser

Dr. Fleming as belonging to the Cornish fish

Forked Beard of Jago ; and Cuvier, in a note

at

the foot

of page 336 of the second volume of the Regne Animal,

as belonging to
quotes the Gadus trifurcatus of Pennant
his

genus Raniceps.

The

advantages of equal communication and assistance on

this point

from Mr. Couch and Dr. Johnston enable

to carry the comparison of the

two

fishes still further.

me

206

GADID.E.

Mr. Couch has favoured me with

tion

a drawing and a descrip-

The

of a specimen taken in Cornwall.

is

description

by Dr. Fleming, and the drawing has sup-

already given

plied the means of giving the representation

at the

head

me

with

Dr. Johnston has also furnished

of this article.

a coloured drawing, a penciled sketch, and a

description.

copy of the sketch, carefully reduced in size, forms the

These two compared together, these
vignette at the end.
double representations in the last
with
the
again compared

two octavo editions of Pennant's British Zoology, and each

with the figure of Jago's

in

fish

Ray's Synopsis,

will,

think, leave little doubt that all are intended to represent

the same

fish.

Dr. Johnston's description

is

" The
comparison implied
of

very expressive

as follows

in the

name Tadpole Fish is

for when

general form and colour

its

was entirely black, and the anterior parts are large

The
and tumid, while the hinder are much compressed.

alive

it

extreme length of our

inches

and

Berwickshire

specimen was eleven

greatest circumference, which

its

is

immediately

before the pectoral fins, was seven inches, whence

rapidly to the
flattened

tail.

The head

is

it

tapered

very large, obtuse,

on the crown, where there

is

and

a slight depression

between the eyes, which are an inch distant from each other,
The mouth is wide
lateral, prominent, round, and black.
;

and under the chin there

is

a small conical barb or feeler

the lips are rounded and white

the inferior jaw armed with

two close rows of sharp teeth, and the upper, which is moveable, with similar teeth, but more numerous, and not distinctly rowed.

On

the palate, behind the jaw,

there

is

semilunar cartilaginous prominence or tubercle roughened

with small teeth ; and the wide entrance into the oesophagus
is

guarded with

four similar tubercles,

but of a roundish

LESSER FORKED BEARD.

figure,

first

The

two above, and two smaller below.

branchial

number, and on the inner side of each of

rays are few in

them

207

The

there are two rows of minutely spinous tufts.

dorsal

long ray

very minute, but

fin is

terminated by a rather

is

the second dorsal fin commences just behind

or one-third of the whole length from the head,

nearly to the

tail

it is

half an inch broad, equal throughout,

The

the rays ending in free single points.

the dorsal

it,

and extends

anal fin

is

like

the pectorals are oblong wedge-shaped, one inch

and a half long

the ventral fins are small, and their two

anterior rays are very long, white,

and detached

the fore-

most one-half the length of the second, which measures

The scales
Tail wedge-shaped.
little less than two inches.
are small,

and

lie close

to the

square form, marked with

body

they have an oblong

parallel lines

or strise, which on

the exposed part of each scale run in a transverse, and on

the covered parts in a longitudinal direction.

The numbers

1 ''

of the different fin-rays, according to

Pen-

nant, are
1st

D. 3

2nd D. 62

Mr. Couch says

P. 23

V. 6

this fish is too

A. 59

C. 36.

rare for us to

be much

The

only specimen he ever

history.
saw was taken with a line in rocky ground, in the month of
The remains of
April ; at which time its roe was small.
acquainted with

its

an echinus were in

The

its intestines.

following note appears at the end of Mr. Couch's

account of this

fish

" Mr.
Jago, whose name occurs

at the

head of a

list

of

end of Ray's Synopsis Piscium, was a native

of Cornwall, and a minister of the Church of England.
When Bishop Trelawney, so well known as one of the
fishes at the

six

bishops committed to the

Tower by James the Second,

GADID.E.

endowed the Chapel of Ease

East Looe, and thereby obtained the consent of the Rector of St. Martin to name the
at

curate, he appointed his friend

Mr. Jago

to the curacy

and

the latter embraced the favourable opportunity thus placed

within his reach to

of Cornish

make

Fishes,

collections for an intended History

which,

Never having been married,

however,
his

he

MS. and

never perfected.

drawings at his

decease came into the possession of his friend Mr. Dyer,

by whom they were delivered

the History of Cornwall."

to

Dr. Borlasc, the author of

PLAICE.

209

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

PLEURONECTID&*

THE
Platessa vulgaris,

Plaise,

PLAICE.

FLEM.

Plaise,

An.

Brit.

CUVIER, Regne An.

t. ii.

WILLUGHBY,

,,

Generic Characters.

BLOCK, pt. ii.

PENN. Brit. Zool.

DON.

,,

338.

p. 96, F. 4.

Pleuronectes platessa, LINNAEUS.

Plaise,

p. 198, sp. 103.

p.

pi. 42.

vol.

iii.

p.

304.

Brit. Fish. pi. 6.

both eyes on the right

;
a row of teeth in each jaw, with others
commencing over the upper eye, that fin

Body rhomboidal, depressed

side of the head, one above the other

on the pharyngeal bones dorsal fin

and the anal fin extending nearly the whole length of the body, but neither of
them joined to the tail ; branchiostegous rays 6.
;

THE

character

and appearance

of the

various

species

of Pleuronectida, or Flatfish, as they are popularly called,

are so peculiar

and so unique among vertebrated animals

as to claim particular notice.

The want

of symmetry in the form of the head

eyes placed on the same

side,

one higher than

both

the other,

* The
family of the Flounders, popularly called Flatfish.

PLKURONECTID.E.
frequently not in the same vertical line, and often unequal
in size

two

the position of the

sides of the head,

those

in

fins

that

are

mouth

the inequality of the

and the frequent want of uniformity

in pairs, the pectoral and ventral

of the under or white side being in some species smaller

fins

than those of the upper

and the whole of the colour of the

confined to one side, while the other side remains per-

fish

fectly white,

produce a grotesque appearance: yet a

that

consideration will prove

these

little

various and seemingly

obvious anomalies are perfectly in harmony with that station

nature which an animal bearing these attributes

in

pointed to

As

is

birds are seen to occupy very different situations,

obtaining their food

on the ground, others on

a few at various degrees of elevation in the

trees,

so are fishes

air,

Flatfishes and the various species of Skate are,

lowest

among

form

of body,

position,

admirably adapted

by

the

their de-

inhabit the

to

and where they occupy the

some

and not

destined to reside in different situations in the water

pressed

ap-

fill.

least

space,

their kindred fishes.

Preferring sandy or

muddy

swimming-bladders, their place

shores,
is

and unprovided with

close to the ground, where,

hiding their bodies horizontally in the loose

soil

at the bot-

tom, with the head only slightly elevated, an eye on the

under side of the head would be useless ; but both eyes
placed on the upper surface affords them an extensive range
of view in those various directions in which they

may

either

endeavour to find suitable food, or avoid dangerous enemies.

Light, one great cause of colour, strikes on the upper surface

only

the under surface, like that of most other fishes, re-

mains perfectly colourless.

Having little or no means of
defence, had their colour been placed only above the lateral
line

on each side, in whatever position they moved, their

PLAICE.

211

piebald appearance would have rendered

When

objects to all their enemies.

them conspicuous

near the ground, they

swim slowly, maintaining their horizontal position ; and the

smaller pectoral and ventral fins on the under side are advantageous where there

is

than with the larger

so

much

less

fins that are

disturbed, they sometimes

make

room

above.

for their action,

When

suddenly

a rapid shoot, changing their

position from horizontal to vertical

if the observer
happens
be opposite the white side, they may be seen to pass with
the rapidity and flash of a meteor ; but they soon sink down,
resuming their previous motionless, horizontal position, and
:

to

are then distinguished with difficulty,

similarity in colour to the surface

owing to

on which they

their great

rest.

Though the appearance and situation of the eyes and

mouth seem to indicate a degree of deformity, yet the head
contains modifications of

all

the bones that are found in a

symmetrically-formed head.

The

forward between the ventral

fins

the anal
scribed,

fin

is

situated very far

but the abdominal cavity,

though circum-

extends backwards to a considerable distance, the

intestine returning

Most

vent

and the commencement of

by

a convolution.

of the Flatfishes are deservedly in great request as

articles of food.

The number

of species diminishes as the

In this country we
have sixteen species ; at the parallel of Jutland, Denmark,
and the islands at the mouth of the Baltic, there are thirdegrees of northern latitude increase.

teen
cies

on the coast of Norway they are reduced to ten spenumber is but five, and at Greenland

at Iceland the

only three.

The Plaice is described and figured by

was known to the older naturalists long
It inhabits

sandy banks and

the

islands

among

Orkney

Rondeletius, and
before

muddy grounds
is

caught by

his

in the sea

lines

time.
;

and

and hooks

PLEURONECTID.E.
but as
after

not of large size there,

is

it

it is

common, however,

On

the small ones are called Fleuks.

Plaice

it

is

not

much sought

Edinburgh market, where

in the

the English coast the

taken in abundance generally wherever either lines

is

or trawl-nets can be used

and

in

Ireland, this fish

is

re-

corded to be taken from the shores of the county of Cork on

the south, round

by

the eastern coast to the county of

Done-

gal on the north-west.

The

Plaice spawns in February or March, and

is

consi-

dered to be in the finest condition for the table at the end of

May. Diamond

Plaice

is

name attached

to those

which are

caught at a particular fishing-station off the Sussex coast,

which

is

called the

Diamond ground.

The

fish

are remark-

able for the purity of the brown colour and the brilliancy of
the spots.

Plaice feed

young
attain

fish

on the soft-bodied animals generally, with

and small Crustacea, and have been known to

the weight of fifteen pounds

1

eight pounds weight

is

is

but one of seven or

considered a Plaice of large

taken sometimes in almost incredible numbers.

size.

It

So great

a glut of Plaice occurred once in Billingsgate market, that,

although crowded with dealers, hundreds of bushels remained

1

Great quantities of Plaice, averaging three pounds

were sold at one penny per dozen.
One saleseach,
weight
in
vain
endeavoured
to
sell
an
hundred
bushels
man, having

unsold.

at the rate of fifty Plaice for four-pence, left

them with Mr.

Goldham, the clerk of the market, requesting him to sell

them for anything he could get. Unable to dispose of them

Mr. Goldham, by direction of the Lord Mayor,

them among the poor.
In some parts of the North of Europe, where from the

otherwise,

divided

rocky nature of the

soil

the sea

is

remarkably transparent,

Plaice and some other Flatfish of

large size are taken by

PLAICE.

213

dropping clown upon them, from a boat, a doubly-barbed short

spear, heavily leaded to carry it with velocity to the bottom,
with a line attached to
is

by which the

it,

when

fish

transfixed

hauled up.

In East Friesland the Plaice has been transferred to freshwater ponds, where

it is

established and thrives well.

Like other ground-fish,

tenacious of

The

all

the Pleuronectida are very

life.

length of the head compared to the whole length of

the head, body, and

is

tail,

as

two to nine

the depth of

the solid part of the body, without including the dorsal or

anal fins, rather

more than one-third of the whole length

small
; the mouth and teeth rather

the form subrhomboidal

the upper eye the largest, and placed rather more backward

than the lower eye, with a strong and prominent bony ridge
orbits, and several tubercles forming a curved
from the posterior part of the ridge to the commence-

between the
line

ment of the

lateral line

the preoperculum

line over the origin of the ventral fin

is

in a vertical

the operculum ter-

minates in an angle upon the base of the pectoral

lateral line

prominent, commencing

at the

the operculum, arched over the pectoral

rays.

The

dorsal

then straight
tail,

and ex-

membrane connecting the central caudal

fin commences over the
upper eye ; the

longest rays rather behind the middle of

the anal

fin,

its whole
length
preceded by a spine, begins in a line under the

origin of the pectoral fin

middle

tail

as the caudal

rounded.

the longest rays rather before the

both dorsal and anal

fins

end on the same plane,

and short of the end of the fleshy portion of the

as well

the

upper margin of
fin,

along the middle of the fleshy portion of the

tending over the

fin

rays,

is

tail,

which,

narrow and elongated;

the

PLEURONECTID.E.

The

fin-rays in

number

D. 73

The body

is

P. 11

are

V. 6

smooth on both

A. 55

C. 16.

the scales small

sides,

the

colour of the upper or right side a rich brown, with a row of

bright orange red spots along the dorsal and anal fins, and

other spots of the same colour dispersed over the body

under side entirely white.

Young

the

Plaice have frequently

a dark spot in the centre of the red one.

The

fishes of this first division of the Pleuronectidcc with

the eyes and the colour on the right side of the body are further distinguished by the term dextral

fisli

FLOUNDER.

215

SUBBRACH1AL
MALACOPTERYOJI.

PLEURONECTIDM.

THE FLOUNDER.
MAYOCK FLEUKE, Edinb.

FLOOK, Merret.

Flounder, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 198, sp. 104.

Le Flet) CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 339.

Platessaflesus,
,,

,,

Pleuronectesfluviatilis,
,,

BUTT.

Fluke,

flesus,

WILLUGHBY,
LINNJEUS.

,,

p. 97,

BLOCK,

F. 4.
pt.

ii.

pi.

44

&

50.

Flounder, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.iii.p. 305.

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 94.

THE FLOUNDER
fish,

and

rivers all

is

one of the most

where the bottom

is

soft,

All the bays, creeks, and

ing to Mr.
parts

common

of the Flat-

found in the sea and near the mouths of large

round our coast, being more particularly abundant

is

Low and
;

of Scotland,

it

whether of sand, clay,

inlets of
is

where

Orkney produce

or
it,

mud.

accord-

taken in abundance in different

it

is

called

Fluke and Mayock

Fleuke,

a term having reference to the flattened form of

the

It

fish.

is

common

at

Berwick and Yarmouth,

at

which

216

PLEURONECTID.E.

latter place

called a

it is

Butt

a northern term

and those

Flounders that are caught in the extensive backwaters behind

Yarmouth, where there is a considerable deposit of mud,
are in consequence so dark in colour as to be distinguished,
from the lighter coloured ones caught on the sands of the sea,
by the name of Black Butts. This similarity in colour be-

tween certain fishes and the bottom upon which they are
found has been already referred to as affording security to
the defenceless from the attacks of their enemies, and exhibits
a beautiful instance of the design employed for the preserva-

In Sweden, according to Linnaeus, this

tion of species.
is

called

Flundra, from which our word Flounder

bly derived, and

when

is

said to refer to its

is

fish

proba-

manner of swimming

close to the ground.

The Flounder

lives

and

thrives whether stationary in the

sea, the brackish water, or the fresh water.

In the Thames

taken as high up as Teddington and Sunbury

Mr.
Jesse mentions having seen the Flounder pursue Minnows
it

is

with great eagerness into the shallows where the Mole runs

Thames

into the

at

Thames

Court.
This species is caught
from Dcptford to Richmond by

Hampton

in considerable quantities

fishermen, who, with the assistance of an apprentice,

use a net of a particular sort, called a tuck-net, or tuck-sean.

One end

of this net

grapple, and

boat

is

circle,

its

is

fixed for a short time

situation

marked by a

by an anchor

floating

buoy

or

the

then rowed, or rather sculled, by the apprentice in

the fisherman near the stern handing out and clear-

ing the net

when the

closed, the net

is

circle is

hauled in

completed and a space in-

near the starting point in a

direction across the fixed end.

Flounders ascend rivers generally.

Colonel Montagu says
are
found
the
Avon
within
three miles of Bath.
they
up

They have been

successfully transferred to fresh- water ponds

FLOUNDER.
being long-lived out of water, the carriage from one place to
is a matter of
very little difficulty.
Along our

another

southern shore the Flounder

on the

is

very

common; and

it

occurs

from Cork up the eastern side to Antrim,

and thence northward and westward to Donegal.
Irish coast

The Flounder

feeds

upon aquatic

small fishes, and has been

pounds, but

four

in

known

not usually seen near so large.

and the young Flounders

is

February or March,

spawns
be seen alive by the end of April.
der occur

worms, and

insects,

to acquire the weight of

It

may

Varieties of the Floun-

much more commonly than

species of Flatfish.

those of any other

have before me, while now writing,

specimens without any colour on

side

either

specimens

and specimens with both eyes and

the whole of the colour on the left side instead of the right.
coloured on both sides

Those without any dark colour on

either

side are albino

varieties, through the transparent skins of which the colour

of the bloodvessels and muscles has suggested the trivial

names of rosea and carnaria

them

species.
is

50,

pi.

The PL

passer,

it

is

figured

certainly only a reversed

eyes and the colour on the

that

to the authors

left side

who

considered

by Bloch,

pt.

ii.

Flounder, having the

a variety so

common,

scarcely possible to examine a peck-measure of

Flounders without finding one or more reversed specimens.

One of the most remarkable specific distinctions of the
Flounder,

the

series

tween the rays of the

lines, is

pt.

ii.

fins, is to

VOL.

along the dorsal and abdominal

44 and 50.

length of the head

as one to four

mouth

fins

distinctly figured in both Bloch's plates as quoted,

plates

The

of denticulated tubercles placed be-

is

to the

whole length of the

fish

the greatest width of the body, without the

the whole length of the fish as one to three

small
II.

the

the teeth in one row in each jaw, small and

Q.

218

PLEURONECTID^E.

numerous
but

line

the upper eye nearly over the lower

very

slightly

curved

over

the lateral

the pectoral

and

fin,

marked with numerous rough stellated tubercles at its commencement, some more of which are arranged in two lines,
one above, the other below the
course

the

body smooth

the scales small

abdominal lines armed with a

one

in

throughout

its

the dorsal and

series of denticulated tubercles,

each space, between the rays, and alternating with

them; the dorsal

tail

lateral line

the ventral

fin

fin is

extends from
placed a

the eye almost to the

little farther

Plaice, under the margin of the

back than in the

the anal

fin,

preceded by a spine directed forwards, also commences

far-

both dorsal and anal

fins

terminate on the same

the fleshy portion of the

tail

narrow,

ther back

plane

operculum

gated, and almost square at the end.

The

its

rays elon-

fin-rays in

num-

ber are
D. 55

The

P. 11

V. 6

colour of this species

is

A. 42

C. 14.

variable, the shades of

brown

depending on the nature of the ground from which the fish

was taken, but generally mottled with darker brown ; the
fins light

brown, occasionally varied with patches of darker

brown, but generally lighter than the body.

Examples
sometimes occur with a few indistinct reddish spots on the

upper surface but the roughness of the lateral line in the

Flounder, and its smoothness in the Plaice, is a distinguish;

ing character in these two species, however similar they

happen

to be in colour or size.

may

COMMON DAB.
SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG1I.

PLEURONECTID&.

1P-

COMMON
SALT1E,

AND SALT-WATER FLEUK, Edinburgh.

Platessa limanda,
,,

DAB.

FLEM.

Dab,

Brit.

An.

p. 198,

sp, 105.

La Limande, CUVIER, Hegne An.

Dab, WILLUGHBY, p. 97, F. 4.

,,

t. ii.

pp.

339

&

340.

Passer asper,
Pleuronectes limanda, LINN.KUS.

Dab,

THE DAB
and

is

is

BLOCH, pt. ii. pi. 46.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 308.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 44.

common

to all the sandy parts of the coast,

usually caught along with Plaice and Flounder

but

immediately distinguished from either by its more uniform and lighter brown colour, its more curved lateral line,
is

and the roughness of the scaly surface, from which latter

circumstance it has been called in Latin, limanda, from lima,
Dr. Neill reports it as common in the market of
a file.
Edinburgh, where it is called Saltie, or Salt-water Fleuk.
I have received it from Berwick, and it is taken at Yar-

mouth.

It

is

very

common

Colonel Montagu says

coast with the seine-net

it
;

is

in

the

London market, and

caught along the Devonshire

many

are also taken

by

trawling.

PLEUHONECTID.E.
and

It occurs in Cornwall,

is

recorded as found on several

and
parts of the cast coast of Ireland between Waterford
Belfast.

The Dab
sects

and marine

feeds on small fish, Crustacea,

and

is

in-

in best condition for the table in February,

March, and April. Its flesh is considered superior to that

Cuvier says it is in higher estiof the Plaice or Flounder
:

mation in Paris than the Flounder, because

It

better.

spawns in

May

or

June

it

bears carriage

inhabits deeper water ge-

and on some parts of the coast is

and hand-lines, the hooks of which

nerally than the Flounder

caught both by sea-lines

are baited with the usual marine sand-worm, or a portion of

The

the body of some of the testaceous mollusca.

the

Dab

is

commonly about

and seldom exceeds

The form

greatest breadth
five

the

eight or nine inches in length,

twi-lvo incln-.

of the

length of the head

body

is

like that of the

to that of the

is

not very prominent

fins

extending along the body nearly to the

rounded.

The

The form

fin-rays in

D. 76

P. 11

of the body

their margins ciliated

the

fin

fin

is

nearly

in a

tail,

both end-

the longest rays of both are placed

tail

the

the dorsal and anal

under the origin of the pectoral

centre

two to

as

ventral fins small,

line

the

the

but the bony ridge

of the pectoral

two-thirds the length of the head

ing on the same plane

is

the latter separated

teeth small,

the length

Flounder

as one to five

whole length

to the

compared

mouth and

body

eyes rather large, the orbits divided,

behind

of

size

is

slender,

number
:

V. 6

elongated,

and

slightly

are

A. 59

subrhomboidal

C. 14.
;

the scales rough,

the lateral line arched high over the

pectoral fin, the remainder to the tail straight

the dorsal and anal fins scaled

the rays of

the colour of the fish a uni-

form pale brown, with the under surface white.

LEMON

DAE.

221

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

PLEURONECTID&.

LEMON DAB.
SMEAR DAB.

SMOOTH DAB.

SANDFLEUK, Edinburgh.
MARY-SOLE, Devonshire.

TOWN-DAB, Hastings.

Brit. An. p. 198, sp. 106.

Lemon Dab, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 457, sp. 144.
Pleuronectes lavis,
Smear Dab, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 309, pi. 47.
,,
microcephalus, Small-headed Dab, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 42.

riatessa microcephalus,
,,

Smear Dab, FLEM.

microcephala,

THE LEMON DAB,

or

frequent occurrence as the

SMOOTH DAB, is not of such

common Rough Dab and is, on
;

account of a mixture of .various shades of reddish brown and

to look at.
It approaches
even more so than any of the

yellow colours, a prettier fish

to a

rhomboid

in

form,

species of this genus as

now

restricted to a certain portion

only of those Flatfishes that have the eyes on the right side.

In tracing the occurrence of the Smooth

coast,

Dr. Neill of Edinburgh says

it

is

Dab round

the

taken off Seton

222

PLEURONECTID.E.

Sands and Aberlady Bay.

Dr. Richard Parnell, who has
devoted great attention to the fishes of the Forth, and to

whose kindness

am

indebted for the largest example of this

species I have yet seen, obtained

and other specimens, on

it,

the Fifeshire coast during the months of February, March,

and April.

have received specimens also from Dr. JohnIt is not uncommon in the London mar-

ston of Berwick.

ket
the

and

taken on the Sussex coast, where

is

name of Town-Dab.
in

quently

Colonel Montagu observed

Devonshire, where

Mr. Couch says

it

is

doubt
sis,

No.

it fre-

called Mary-Sole.

but he has known

Mr.

the trawl-nets.

in

this fish is the

it is

and

rather a rare fish in Cornwall,

does not readily take a bait

caught

known by

it is

to

it

be

Couch adds, he has no

Kitt of Jago, figured in Ray's Synop-

the fish being reversed on the paper, and ap-

pearing with

its

eyes and colour on the left side, as in the

sinistral fishes.

The
of the

Smooth Dab

flesh of the

Common Dab,

is

considered equal to that

and the substance of the body

This species spawns in May.

Duhamel was well acquainted with the Smooth

is

much

thicker.

considered
parts of

it

entirely

The form
are

Dab

a rare fish on the coast of France, and on

it

some

unknown.

of the

more elongated

but

body rhomboidal
:

small-sized specimens

the length of the head

is

to that of the

head and body, without the caudal rays, as one to

five

and a

half; the depth of the body, including the dorsal or anal

fin,

only just equal to half the whole length of the

the

mouth

small

lips

tumid

the jaws equal in length

fish
;

teeth in

an even, close, regular row in each jaw, but extending further

back on the white under side of the fish than on the upper ;
nostrils double
the eyes exactly over each other ; the orbits
:

separated

by

a strong, prominent,

bony

ridge, but

without

LEMON DAB.
tubercles

the head small

the pectoral

than half the length of the head

dorsal
tail

and anal

D. 86

P. 10

fin-rays in
:

V. 5

number

A. 70

fin

but

ventral fin

reaching near to the

The

rounded.

The

fins

223

tail,

little

small

more
;

the

but distinct; the

are

C. 16.

Vertebrae 46.

general colour of the upper surface of the

body

is

mixture of pale reddish brown and yellow, with small dark

brown specks

the lips are orange, as

is

also the posterior

edge of the operculum, and the anterior edge of the body

the body smooth, and covered with

immediately behind

it

a mucous secretion

the lateral line but

pectoral fin

The

little

arched over the

the under parts white.

vignette below represents a Peter-boat as used

Thames fishermen between and above

by

the

the different bridges.

PLEURONECTJDE.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG11.

PLEURONECTIDJE.

LONG ROUGH DAB.

SANDNECKER.

EdM.

SAND FLEUK, AND LONG FLEUK,

Platessa limanddides, Sandnecker,

JENYNS, Man.

Pleuronectes

PARNELL, Edinb.

Brit. Vert. p. 459, sp. 146.

Phil. Journ. July 1835,

p. 210.
,,

,,

Long Rough Dab, BLOCK,

THE LONG ROUGH DAB

is

a very

The

the catalogue of British Fishes.

of the occurrence of this

pt. vi. pi. 186.

recent addition to
first

notice

had

species on our coast was in the

autumn of 1883, from Dr. John Harwood, of St. Leonard's,

near Hastings, who had seen a specimen that was taken
on the Sussex

coast.

In the summer of 1834

received

two specimens from Dr. George Johnston of Berwick, which

had been taken in that vicinity.
In May 1835 I was
favoured by Dr. Parnell with the largest specimen I have
yet seen, measuring fifteen inches
sent

me word

who,

at the

same time,

they were to be had frequently in the Frith

LONG ROUGH DAB.

of Forth
learned

May, June, and

in

225
Soon afterwards

July.

by

PL

that a specimen of

some years before on the coast of Sunderland, and was

The

Bishop Wearmouth.
I

British, that

in the

am

Edinburgh

by Dr.

that

is

of,

of

fish

Parnell,

Philosophical Journal, already quot-

by an 'error of the

ed, where,

recorded notice of this

first

aware

New

still

Thomas Wilkinson, Esq.

preserved in the possession of

as

T. Fox, Esq. of Durham,

limandoides of Bloch had been taken

a letter from George

press,

the fish

is

called

PL

limandanus.

specimen from Hamburgh, and states

caught by the hook in the vicinity of Heli-

Bloch received
that this fish

is

He

goland.

and that

sters,

The

his

says

feeds on

it

and young lob-

crabs

young

white and good.

its flesh is

length of the head compared to the whole length

of the fish

is

one to

as

five

the

not including the dorsal or anal

of the whole length

breadth of the body,

is

fins,

equal to one-third

with the dorsal and anal

fins

it

is

from the point of the nose to

equal
the form of the
the end of the fleshy portion of the tail
is an
almost
body
elongated oval,
equally pointed at both
to half the distance

ends

mouth capable

the parts of the

teeth in

curving slightly inwards

a

little

eyes rather large

before the line of the other;

by a bony

ridge

pectoral

and ventral

only half the length of the head

tending nearly to
plane

The

of some protrusion

a single row in each jaw, separate, conical, and

the

tail

cheeks,

ciliated scales,

the

tail

both

fins

dorsal
fins

the upper one

the orbits separated

small

the former

and anal

fins ex-

ending on the same

slightly rounded.

operculum, and body, covered with harsh,

the surface exceedingly rough to the touch

a row of ciliated scales along each ray of the dorsal and anal
fins

the lateral line straight, or very slightly inclining up-

226

PLEURONECTID.E.

it
approaches the operculum ; the head and body
one uniform pale brown ; the fins lighter ; the under surface
of the body rough and white.

wards as

The

fin-rays in

number

D. 76

The
fish

P. 10

are

V. 5

A. 64

C. 16.

vignette represents a Folkstone fisherman selling his

by auction on the beach after landing. This is done,

Dutch fashion, by lowering the price de-

according to the

manded
struck

for the lot

by

till

a bid

is

made, when the bargain

dropping the shingle, which

between the fore-finger and thumb.

is

is

held, as represented,

POLE.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGJJ.

PLEUROKEUTIDX.

THE POLE, OR CRAIG FLUKE.

Pole,
CUVIEU, Regne An. t. iii. p. 339.
The Pole, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 458, sp. 145.

La

Ptatessa Polu,
,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

Craig Fluke, PARNELL, Edinb. Phil. Journ. July 1835, p. 210.

La Vraie Limandelle, DUHAMEL, sect, ix.pl. 6, figs. 3 & 4.

Pleuronectes Pola,

La

Pole,

LACEPEDE,

vol. iv. p.

368.

New

8vo. Edition,

vol. x. p. 74.

THIS second
Platessa
do'ides

is

last

still

addition to the British Fishes in the genus

more

on our coast than the

rare

In the month of

described.

May

PL

1838

limanI

ob-

served a specimen twelve inches long in the shop of Mr.

Groves of Bond-street

between
species

this

and on pointing out the differences

and other Flatfishes by comparison with several

it was placed for sale, and mentioning

among which

its rarity,

Mr. Groves immediately sent

Society for preservation,

it

to the Zoological

observing that he had not noticed

the difference, and did not recollect that he had ever seen
that

species before.

executed.

In

May

From

this specimen the woodcut was

1835, Dr. Parnell very kindly sent

PLEURONECTID/E.

me from Edinburgh,

to

for

examination,

of this

a skin

species nineteen inches in length, with several other pre-

served skins of fishes taken in the Frith of Forth, where

the Craig Fluke, as this fish

men,

is

by the fishermonths of April, May,

there called

is

occasionally taken in the

and June.

These
seas
I

that

am

believe,

Of

acquainted with.

Baron Cuvier

known.

is

Animal, that in France the

flesh

it

habits but little,

in his

Regne

is

and Lacepede

as

in

states

attains a length of twenty-four to thirty inches.

The head
whole

its

states,

of this species

great estimation as that of the Sole

that

our

the only examples of this fish taken in

are

fish

is

is

small

length compared to that of the

its

as one to

six

the greatest breadth of body,

whole length rather

more than a third ; including the dorsal and anal fins, rather
less than a half: the form of the body an elongated oval,
dorsal

and anal

fins

pointed at each end

to the

is

excluded,

mouth small

the

the lips thin

single row of teeth in each jaw, close set, smooth, incisorlike, with thin and even-cutting edges the eyes rather large
:

the upper

one

ranging vertically behind the line

lower, with the usual intervening

pectoral and ventral

fins

small

bony ridge ; irides orange

and anal fins extend:

dorsal

ing very nearly the whole length of the body

on the same plane

longest
short

The

of the

both ending

the rays about the middle of each the

those at the extreme ends, before and behind, very

tail

rather long and rounded.

fin-rays in

number

D. 109

The body

is

P. 11

in

one specimen were

V. 7

quite smooth

A. 93

C. 19.

the scales rather large, deci-

duous, but neither ciliated nor roughened in any way beyond a few radiating striae ; the head smooth, without tu-

POLE.
bercles

lateral

line

straight,

229

and extending,

other species of Platessa, to the end of the

necting the caudal rays.

yellowish brown

The

the edges of

colour of the
all

the fins

as in all the

membrane conbody uniform

darker
when
:

dried for preservation, the colour of the skin of the

becomes clove brown

The

body

that of the fins, brocoli brown.

below represents the Thames Peter-boat

rigged with a fore-sail and main-sail, as used by the fishermen about Greenwich, and from thence along the course of
vignette

the river downwards.

230

PLEU11ONECT1D.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG1I.

PLEURONECTIDA.

THE HOLIBUT.
Holibut, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 199, sp. 108.
CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 340.
Fletan,

Hippoglossus vulgaris,
,,

,,

,,

,,

Pleuronectes hippoglossus,

,,

WILLUGHBY,

,,

LINN*US.

p. 99, F. 6.

BLOCH,

pt.

ii.

pi.

47.

Holibut, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 302.

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 75.

,,
,,

With both eyes and

Generic Characters.

the colour on the right side in the

genus, and with fins similar to those of the species

of the genus Platessa
the jaws and the pharynx are armed with teeth that
are sharper and stronger, and the form of the body is more elongated.

specimen of

British

this

THE HOLIBUT
ronectidce,

Northern

but

fisheries

Zoology, and

hooks.

slips

capture
it

well

and Greenland.

land,

fresh

is

one of the largest species of the Pleu-

is

its

The

is

is

principally confined

known on
It

is

for

and exposed

which

the

the coasts of Norway, Ice-

usually caught with lines and

Greenlanders eat the flesh of this

and dried,

to

noticed by Pennant in his Arctic

latter

to the air.

purpose

They

it

is

fish

both

cut into long

are fished for success-

HOLIBUT.

by the

fully

31

Orkneys, who ply their lines

and various eddies produced by the dif-

natives of the

in the slack water

ferent islands, out of the race of the tides

being more

particularly

Flatfish generally.

the

haunts

these quiet places

Holibut and

of the

large quantity of oil

obtained from

is

them.
Holibuts weighing near five hundred
been
obtained ; and examples of large
pounds
size have occasionally occurred nearer home.
In April 1828,

In the Northern

seas,

are said to have

a Holibut seven feet six inches

in

length, three feet six

inches in breadth, and weighing three hundred and twenty

Man

pounds, was taken off the Isle of

and sent to Edin-

burgh market. It was said to have been the largest specimen ever exhibited there.

The Holibut

has occurred, as might be expected, on the

from Belfast Bay to the shores

of the county of Donegal ; but in consequence, probably,
of the word maximus having been applied by some authors

northern coast of Ireland,

term to the Holibut, and by others to the

as a specific

Turbot, some confusion has

the English names.

am

by

a misappropriation of

in doubt, therefore,

whether some

Ho-

on the south coast of Ireland claimed for the

localities

do not in

libut

arisen

the

reality refer to

Turbot,

as

neither

Colonel Montagu nor Mr. Couch mentions the occurrence of

the Holibut either in Devonshire or Cornwall, but the Tur-

bot

is

well

known

fish is occasionally

here, from

its

to be

large size,

by the pound weight.

is

common

to both.

seen in the months of

it

The

is

two

feet

ples are

fins are said to

this
:

sold in slices at a low price

flesh,

though white and

dry, the muscular fibre coarse, with but

head and

In London

March and April

be the best parts.

little

flavour

firm,
:

the

Specimens only

long are occasionally seen, but in general the exam-

much

larger.

PLEURONECTID^.

The Holibut

feeds

species

of Flatfish

spring

the roe

is

long,

the ground, on the smaller

and various

spawns in

five

specimen

feet

two inches

London fishmonger, supplied

the shop of a

means of obtaining the following description

The

It

Crustacea.

of a pale red colour, and the ova in the

female very numerous.

in

to

close

the

length of the head compared to the whole length of

the fish without the caudal rays,

is

one to four

as

the

greatest breadth one third of the whole length, dorsal, anal,

and caudal fin-rays all excluded the head small, but the
:

mouth
size

large

of the

teeth in two rows in each jaw, small for the

fish,

and separated ; the irides

the pectoral fin on the coloured

conical, pointed,

yellow, the pupils black

or dextral side one-fourth larger than that on the white or

under side

the dorsal

fin

commences

in a line over the eye,

the rays longest over the widest part of the

fin

of similar character

body

both dorsal and anal

fins

on the same plane, and distinct from the caudal

posterior margin of which is concave ; the ventral
small,

the anal

terminate
fin,

fins

the
are

the white ventral fin of the under side the smaller of

the two

immediately in advance of the commencement of

the anal fin are two apertures

the anterior opening large, and

evidently connected with the intestines ; the posterior opening

smaller, and apparently the outlet from the urinary bladder

The

and sexual organs.

D. 104

The form

of the

fin-rays in

P. 16

V. 6

number were

A. 81

C. 16.

body elongated; the

covered with small oval-shaped soft scales

surface smooth,

the lateral line

arched over the pectoral fin; the colour composed of different

shades varying from light brown to dusky brown
of the under side perfectly smooth and white.

the surface

TURBOT.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG1L

PLEURONECTID&.

THE TURBOT.
RAWN FLEUK, AND BANNOCK FLEUK,
Rhombus maximus,

Le Turbot, CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 340.

WILI.UGHBY, p. 94, F. 2.
LINNAEUS.
BLOCK, pt. ii. pi. 49.
PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 315,
Turbot,
Turbot,

,,

Pleuronectes

,,

,,

,,
,,

dorsal

,,

DON.

,,

FI.EM. Brit. An. p. 196, sp. 96.

fin

commencing

anal fins extending very nearly to the

THE TURBOT,
is

esteemed,

standing

left

side; teeth in the jaws

anterior to the upper eye

dorsal

and

tail.

so well

Flatfishes

great

and, like the Salmon, notwith-

excellence,

that are caught in various ways,

but not equally so on

II.

49.

known, so highly and so justly

considered the best, as it is also one of the

largest, of our
its

pi.

Brit. Fish. pi. 46.

Colour and eyes on the

Generic Characters.

and pharynx

VOL.

Scotland.

all

and the immense numbers

it is still

in great

abundance,

parts of the coast.

234

PLEURONECTID.E.

but the
According to Mr. Low, it is rare in Orkney
numbers taken increase on coming southward ; and in the
market of Edinburgh, according to Dr. Neill, it is com;

monly denominated Rawn Fleuk, from

best for the table when in rawn,* or roe

called

Bannock^ Fleuk, on account of

On

the coasts of

Durham and

its

its

being thought

it is

sometimes also

shape.

Yorkshire, a considerable

Turbot is carried on by the fishermen of Hartleand

pool
Scarborough with long lines, the mode of using
which was described when speaking of the common Codfish.

fishery for

large proportion of the

market

is

Turbot produced

in the

English

taken on or near the various sandbanks between the

long line of our eastern shore and the coast of Holland.

The

writer of the article

"

Fisheries," in the edition of the

Encyclopaedia Britannica now in course of publication, says,

" The
only

fishery, perhaps,

the English follow

Turbot

that of the

which neither the Scotch nor

up with the same success as the Dutch,

;

is

the finest of which are supposed to be

taken upon the Flemish banks.

The Turbot

fishery begins

about the end of March, when the Dutch fishermen assemble

a few leagues to the south of Scheveling.

weather approaches, the

fish

As

the

warm

gradually advance to the north-

ward, and during the months of April and

found

in great shoals

May they are

on the banks called the Broad Forties.

Early in June they have proceeded to the banks which surround the small island of Heligoland, off the mouth of the
Elbe, where the fishery continues to the middle of August,

w hen

it

bot

is

as follows

net

is

used

* In the

terminates for the year.

At

The mode

of taking Tur-

the beginning of the season the trawl-

which being drawn along the banks, brings up

West

of

England

a different

the bottom of page 170.

t Bannock, a round flat cake.

meaning

is

attached to this word

see

TURBOT.

235

various kinds of Flatfish, as Soles, Plaice^ Thornbacks,

and

but when the warm weather has driven the

fish

Turbots

deeper water, and upon banks of a rougher surface,

where trawling is no longer practicable, the fishermen have

into

then recourse to their many-hooked

baited with the

an Eel,

called

common

the GorebilL*

quantities of this fish are

own

Though

now taken on

fish

are

resembling

very considerable

various parts of our

from the Orkneys to the Land's End, yet a

given in the London market to those caught by

coasts,
is

preference

The hooks

lines.

Smelt, and a small

who

the Dutch,

are supposed to have

drawn not

80,000/. a year for the supply of this market alone

Danes from 12,000/.

to

than

less
;

and the

15,000/. a year for sauce to this

luxury of the table, extracted from one million of lobsters,

though our own

taken on the rocky shores of Norway,

shores are in

many

parts plentifully supplied with this

rine insect, equal in goodness to those of

About

London market
61.

is

is

also

by Dutch fishermen, who pay

furnished

each boat bringing from one hundred

per boat,

one hundred and

quantity

Norway."

one-fourth of the whole supply of Turbot to the

a duty of
to

ma-

fifty

the fishing stations near their

men, and

is

Turbot.

purchased of the

brought by them

very considerable

Dutch fishermen

own

shore

at sea

by English

on

fisher-

to our market in their

own

boats, paying no duty.

Along our southern

many Turbot

coast

are caught

by the

trawling vessels, and long-line fishing at particular seasons on

the Varne and on the Ridge,

the

first

miles,

two extensive banks of sand,

about seven miles, and the second about twelve

from Dover, towards the French

coast.

On

these

banks French fishermen also lay their long-lines ; and when

they do not succeed in selling their Turbot at sea, which
*

Vol.

i.

page 391.

PLEURONKC
them

suits

Til) K.

best, they freight one or

more of

their

own

with them, and send them into Dover harbour for

ing the usual duty.

They

boats

sale,

pay-

are not, however, allowed to sell

but Turbot, except under particular circumstances.

If in want of provision, or their boat has suffered damage

any

fish

from bad 'weather, they are then permitted, by certificate

from a magistrate, to sell as much fish as will procure them
food, or

pay the cost of

repairs.

Along the Devonshire

sive scale

is

coast,

where trawling on an extenTurbot and Dory is

practised, a portion of the

forwarded during the season to Bath and Exeter

mainder
is

London market by

sent to the

the re-

land-carriage.

It

observed that the Turbot of the northern part of our

own

is

and those bought of or brought by the Dutch

coast,

fisher-

are darker in colour than those from the south-western

men,

shores of England.

Mr. Couch
and
its

is

says,

" The Turbot

keeps

proper habitation

mounts

sandy ground,
and though
;
close to the bottom, it sometimes

aloft,

and

is

have known

depth of thirty fathoms

pursuing to the surface a

the line,

the quality of his food

;

Turbot

if it

will

it

upon the

companion

that was

its

drawn up by

together."

a voracious fish,

the bait used for

surface over a

have been informed also of

when both were taken

The Turbot, though

fresh

in

a great wanderer, usually in companies

is

particular as to

him should be very

happens to be in the least degree tainted, the

not touch it.
The most enticing baits to use

are those small fishes which are either very bright in colour

or very tenacious of

life

the Atherine, and the two

common

species of the genus Coitus, the Sea-Scorpion and Father-

Lasher, are most frequently used

the

first

attracts

by

its

shining silvery appearance, and the others by living a long

time on the hook, and showing themselves in their struggles

TURBOT.

237

The River Lampern was

to get free.

formerly used in large

quantities by the Dutch, and was a great favourite with them

on

as baits for

account of the facility with which they

Turbot,
could be kept alive while the boats were at sea, and combining bright silvery colour with great power of resisting the
usual effect of mutilation.
The principal food of the Tur-

bot

is

small

fish,

Crustacea,

August, but rapidly recovers

Turbot

its

It

spawns about

condition and firmness.

are recorded as having been taken

coast of Ireland

coast of

and mollusca.

on the south

have seen one that was caught on the

Londonderry

in the north

and there

but this valuable species occurs at

many

is little

doubt

intermediate lo-

calities.
6i

The Turbot was known

to the Athenians,

and has been

ever since a worthy object of gastronomical worship."

most common

size varies

from

five

to ten

The

pounds weight
and some;

occasionally this fish attains to twenty pounds,

times thirty pounds.

Mr. Couch

notices, in his

MS.

a re-

cord of one taken in the year 1730, at Cawsand, near Ply-

On the 18th of
mouth, which weighed seventy pounds.
February 1832, an unusually large Turbot was caught at
Whitby, which weighed thirteen stone eight
and ninety pounds), and measured six
hundred
pounds (one
feet across.
Rondeletius, however, states that he had seen a
Staiths, near

Turbot

five

cubits in length, four in breadth,

thickness.

The Turbot

Rhombus

of the ancient

is

considered

to

and a foot

in

have been the

Romans, of which a specimen of

have been taken in the reign of

Domitian, who ordained a Senatus Consultum to devise the

enormous

best

mode
"

size is

said to

of bringing

it

to table.*

No vessel they find fit to hold such a fish,

And the senate 's convoked to decree a new
* Juven. Sat.

iv.

dish."

PLEURONECTID.E.
Quin, of epicurean notoriety, is said to have given it as
opinion that the flesh on the dark-coloured side of the

his

Turbot was the best meat

and

as

examples occasionally

occur that are dark-coloured on both sides, some

London

fishmongers, from experience in their good qualities, recom-

mend

such

fish as

deserving particular attention.

Reversed

that is, Turbots having the eyes

Turbots, as they are called,
and dark colour on the right side instead of the left, are also

occasionally brought to market

have seen two or three

such; but they have exhibited a slight degree of malformation in the form of a notch or
depression on the top of the
head.

The

Mr. Donovan, plate 90,

Plcttroncctes cyclop* of

be an example of the young fry of the Turbot,

the head of which is not perfectly formed.
I believe to

The number

of Turbot brought to Billingsgate market

within twelve months, up to a recent period, was 87,958 ; and

the number of lobsters within the same
period 1,904,000.

The form

of the Turbot, exclusive of the caudal rays,

is

the length of the head compared to the length

nearly round
of the head and body alone is as one to three
the depth of
:

the body, including both dorsal and anal

length from the nose

tail

the

mouth

liquely upwards

is

to the

large,

fins, is

equal to the

end of the fleshy portion of the

the direction of the opening ob-

the teeth small and numerous in both jaws ;

the eyes in a vertical line one directly over the other

whole surface of the cheeks, and

on the upper or coloured

side,

all

the

the parts of the gill-cover

studded with numerous tuber-

cles
the operculum ending in an angle directed backwards
and over the base of the pectoral fin the gill-openings large
;

the pectoral fin small

the dorsal

fin,

commencing by

short

rays immediately over the nostril and anterior to the upper

eye, extends very nearly to the end of the fleshy portion of

the

tail,

where the rays are again short, the longest rays

TURBOT.

239

being over the middle of the body;

placed very
the anal

fin,

and only separated from

the anal fin ending

same

by

P. 12

commencement

by

V. 6

of

a narrow space
tail,

and on the

the caudal rays moderately

The

long, and slightly rounded.

:

it

short rays near the

vertical plane as the dorsal

D. 64

the ventral fins broad,

appearing like the

far forward,

fin-rays in

A. 48

C. 15

number

are

Vertebra 30.

The whole of the upper or coloured side of the body

studded with hard roundish tubercles, the surface otherwise
smooth

the

scales

small,

the

prevailing

shades of brown, the fins a little lighter;

arched high over the pectoral

fin,

the under surface of the

is

body

vignette represents a

varying

the lateral line

then straight to the

smooth, and generally

fectly white.

The

colour

Dutch

boat.

tail

per-

PLEURONECTID.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

PLEURONECTIDJE.

THE

KITE, IUIKTT, J5OXN KT-FLEUK.

I'EAKI.,

Rhombus

aculeatus,

Pleuronectes rhombus,
,,

La Barbue,

CUVIER, Regne An.

WILLUGHBY,

p. 95, pi. F. 1.

vulgaris,

7(0/1

,,

LINN^EVS.

,,

ii.pl.

Brill,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 97.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 196,

Brit. Zool. vol.

a well-known

fish,

t. ii.

p.

341.

43.

PENN.

,,

is

BLOCII, pt.

Pearl,

,,

THE BRILL

BRILL.

iii.

p.

321,

pi.

50.

sp. 97.

brought in abundance

London market, and procured from the same localities

and by the same modes as the Turbot
but is not held in
to the

equal estimation, being considered by some as inferior to

the Sole, but very superior to the Plaice.

Dr. Neill says

called

it

is

Bonnet-Fleuk

found in Aberlady Bay, where it is

it is taken also at Yarmouth, and

other places along our eastern coast.

It is

abundant on our

southern coast, inhabiting sandy bays as well as deep water,

BRILL.

from whence the principal part of the supply

is derived.
It has been taken also

for the

market
its

London
In

at Belfast.

food, as well as in its season of spawning,

it is

similar to

the Turbot, but does not usually appear so large, seldom

be borne

It should

exceeding eight pounds in weight.

in

mind, that the Kite of the Devonshire and Cornish coasts

the same as the Brill

but that the Kit of Jago

Dab, figured and described

or small-headed

is

the smooth

is

in this

volume

at

page 221.

The
in

writer of the supplementary part to the Class Fishes,

Mr.

Animal Kingdom,

Griffith's edition of Cuvier's

the enormous fish presented to the

that

Domitian was a
the Turbot

Rhombus

Brill,

says

Roman Emperor

vulgaris of Cuvier, and not

but the authority or the reasons for this opinion

are not given.
Bloch, in his account of the Brill, makes a
;

similar statement.

The

length of the head from the point of the lower jaw to

the edge of the operculum

is,

when compared

to the length

of the

body alone without the head or caudal rays, as one to

two

the breadth of the body, dorsal and anal fins excluded,

equal to half the whole length of the entire fish

and anal

breadth, dorsal
as

two to three

included,

is

the whole

to the whole length

body rhomboidal the

the position and extent of the

the form of the

smooth

face perfectly

fins

very similar to those of the

Turbot

last described

the most anterior rays of the dorsal fin extend

sur-

a few of

fins

beyond the

connecting membrane the tail rounded.

The fin-rays in number are
;

D. 76

The mouth

P. 10

V. 6

A. 59

C. 16.

Vertebra 35.

under jaw the longest ;

and
the upper eye
teeth numerous, small, pointed,
sharp
behind the lower one in a vertical line ; irides yellow cheek
is

large, deeply cleft

242

PLEURONECTID.E.

and operculum smooth,

cending

marginal lines

a right angle

lateral line

straight to the

small,

without

end of the

and smooth

tubercles

basal

and

as-

of the preoperculum forming nearly

arched over the pectoral

tail

then

fin,

the scales are nearly round,

the colours of the body a reddish sandy

and sprinkled over with

white pearl-like specks, whence, probably, one of the names
bestowed on this fish has originated
the under surface is
brown, varied with darker brown,

smooth and white.

The young

are of a pale reddish brown,

marked with very

dark brown or black spots.

The

vignette represents the outline of the anterior part of

a Brill with a malformed head.

sketch was taken,

am

For the

fish

from which

this

indebted to the kindness of Mrs.

Nelson of Devonport.
It was t;iken in that
1835, and was brought on shore alive.

vicinity in

June

MULLERS TOPKNOT.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

PLEURONECT1D2E.

MULLEITS TOPKNOT.
Rhombus

Midler's Topknot,

hirtus,

YARRELL.

MUI.LER, Zool. Dan.

Pleuronectes hirtus,

punctatus,

vol.

iii.

p. 36, pi. 103.

Topknot, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

edit.

1776,

pi.

322, pi. 51, and

named by mistake

iii.

p.

41, but

Smear Dab.
Le Gros Pile ou Targeur, DUHAMEL,
Pleuronectes hirtus,

sect. ix. pi. 5, fig. 4.

Muller's Topknot,

JENYNS, Man.

Brit.

Vert. p. 463,

sp. 151.

SEVERAL modern

have confounded the present

fish with the species next to be described ; and Cuvier,* as
well as Professor Nilsson,-(- have brought together the Pleuauthors

ronectes hirtus of Muller, and the

apparently

considering

them

as

PL

the

punctatus of Bloch,

same

fish.

Muller

doubted whether the punctatus of Bloch was the same as

and notices the points in which they differ. The

some specimens very recently,
opportunity of examining

his fish,

Regne An.

t. ii.

p.

341.

Prod. Ichth. Scand.

p.

59, sp. 11.

VLEURONEOTIJ)

confirms the existence of two distinct species on our shores.

Though somewhat
and the

colouring,

similar

spots, there are

marked distinguishing

The

the form of the

in

hirtus of Muller, and those included in the syno-

body rough
the

the following well-

specific characters.

nymes here given, have the eye

small

still

the

body,

or coloured side only of the

the under side smooth

first

succeeding rays

and

anal fins also

tail

short

ray of the dorsal

the eyes and

fin

the ventral and anal fins united

connected to the

and rounded

tail

by

the dorsal

membrane

of the body

the scales

mouth

not longer than the

when

the
de-

tached higher than wide.

The punctatus

of Bloch, and the fishes included under the

synonymes given with the next

species,

have both sides of

the eyes large and prominent ; the mouth

;
and not placed so obliquely; the first
in
than
hirtus,
larger
the body rough

ray of the dorsal fin elongated

separated

the

tail

rather long

the ventral and anal fins

the scales of the

body when

detached wider than high.

The

common

hirtus of Muller appears to be the most

species of the two

I
but neither occur very frequently.
;
which
Dr.
from
have received a specimen
George Johnston,

was taken near Berwick Bay

and

am

indebted to Profes-

Henslow of Cambridge for a drawing of one taken in the

Medway. Dr. John Harwood, of St. Leonard's, possesses

sor

a specimen taken on the Sussex coast

tagu and Mr.

Hanmer

and both Colonel Mon-

obtained specimens in Devonshire.

Mr. Couch considers

West

it

not an

uncommon

of England, and has furnished

me

from one of which the figure was taken.

among

rocks, where

of the similarity in

it is

its

fish

in

the

with two examples,

It appears to

keep

not readily distinguished, on account

colour to the seaweed

taken in the nets which are set for

Red

and

Mullet.

it is

chiefly

In winter

MUL LEU'S TOPKNOT.

45

the boys find small ones, not larger than a half-crown

piece,

by the

in the pools left

This species of Flatfish does

tide.

not probably attain any great

I

size ; the
largest examples
have seen not exceeding seven or eight inches in length.

Mr. Baker, of Bridgewater, sent me a specimen, beautifully

and
preserved, that had been taken in the Bristol Channel
:

have a record of one that was caught on the coast of the

county of

Down

The whole

in Ireland.

length of the specimen described

and one quarter

the length of the head compared to that

of the body, without the caudal rays,

a half

five inches

is

is

one to two and

as

the breadth of the body, not including the dorsal

and anal

half of the whole length

fins,

body, including both these

is

fins,

the form of the

rhomboid

the dorsal

commences immediately over the upper lip, the rays

lengthening by degrees, and being longest over the posterior

fin

third part of the

fins

body

the pectoral fin small

the ventral

placed in a vertical line under the middle of the head,

and attached

membrane

to

commencement of the

the

this latter-named fin

anal fin by a
commences under the line

of the ascending posterior margin of the preoperculum

end on the same plane, and are connected

dorsal and anal fin

to the fleshy portion of the tail

The

small and rounded.

D. 90

The mouth

P. 11

is

both

by a membrane
number are

the

tail

fin-rays in

V. 6

A. 70

C. 14.

Vertebra 33.

the position almost vertical

small,

teeth distinct, small, conical, and sharp

the

the diameter of the

eye equal to one-fourth of the length of the head

the upper

eye placed behind the line of the lower to the distance of

nearly one-half

its

width

the basal and ascending marginal

preoperculum form an obtuse angle ; the cheeks,

operculum, and body, covered with denticulated scales,

lines of the

246

PLEURONECTID.E.

which in shape, when detached, are longest

in their vertical

diameter.

The

colour of the

body

is

a reddish brown, mottled and

spotted with very dark brown or black

a large, conspicuous

dark spot behind, but above the ends of the pectoral fin-rays;
the lateral line curved over the pectoral fin, then descending
and intersecting the lower portion of the large dark spot,
afterwards passing straight to the

than the body

all

tail

the fins paler brown

the rays of the dorsal and anal fins with

a line or row of denticulated scales along their upper surface;

the under side of the body smooth and white.

The

vignette represents a fish woman at Scheveling.

BLOCK

TOPKNOT.

SUBBRACHJAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

PLEURONECTID&.

BLOCK'S TOPKNOT.
YARRELL.

Rhombus punctatus,

Block's Topknot,

Pleuronectes

BLOCK, pt. vi. pi. 189.

FLEM. Wern. Mem. vol.

,,
,,

,,

ii.

Phil. Zool. pi. 3,

Brit.

Rhombus unimaculatus

Risso, Hist.

An.

fig.

p.

241.

2.

p. 196, sp. 99.

torn.

iii.

p.

252,

fig.

35.

Pleuronectes punctatus, Block's Topknot, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 462,

sp. 150.

BY

an oversight, the use of a looking-glass was omitted

of this fish on the wood from

when making the drawing

the specimen, and the figure therefore appears with the eyes

and the colours on the right side, like a Platessa, instead of

on the left, as in a true Rhombus. The fish ought to
have been represented with the head placed in the same direction as in the species last described.

The
called

Pleuronectes punctatus of Bloch,

to

preserve the

or,

as

it

is

here

appropriation, Bloch's Topknot,

is

248

lM,KrHOXK< 'TID.E.

much more
like

Topknot of Muller

rare than the

to have an extended range.

it,

cludes but one species in

but appears,

Professor Nilsson in-

Fishes of Scandinavia, but

his

brings together the trivial names of the hirtus of Muller and

the punctatus of Bloch.

Dr. Fleming procured the

where,

according

not uncommon.

to

the

Professor

the specimen from which

true punctatus

in

Zetland,

testimony of the fishermen,

Henslow obtained

Mr. Jcnyns

at

it

is

Weymouth

description and the

and a comparison of the

were taken
referred
to
under the present fish
and
figures
descriptions
with those of the Rhombus unimaculatus of M. Risso, in
figure here inserted

his Histoire

Nadir die,

are intended for the

if

Bloch,

will convince the

same

observer that they

fish.

he has correctly figured his species, was,

think, mistaken in supposing his fish to be the same as

Le Gros Pile ou Targeur of Duhamel ; as the separation

between the ventral and the anal

fins,

and the want of con-

nexion between the ends of both dorsal and anal

the

tail,

will

demonstrate on

fins

with

comparing the two figures

but the character and disposition of the spots are something

The figure by Dr. Fleming,
in his Philosophy of Zoology, wants only the greater elon-

like those of Muller's fish.

gation of the

first

tinction, to render

that

by M.

ray of the dorsal

it

fin,

perhaps a sexual dis-

identical with the figure here given,

and

Risso.

by permission, of the very full description

given by Mr. Jenyns in his Manual, taken from

I avail myself,

of this fish

the specimen in the collection of the Philosophical Society

of Cambridge.

"

Length five inches and a half. Form roundish oval

the dorsal and ventral lines equally convex greatest breadth,
;

fins

excluded, just half the length

head a

little

less

than

BLOCS
one-third of the same
the eyes

TOPKNOT.

profile

mouth of moderate

nearly equal

notched immediately before

size,

the lower one a very

very protractile

jaws

the longest, and

little

ascending obliquely at an angle of rather more than fortyfive

degrees

teeth so fine as to be scarcely visible

eyes

and prominent ; their diameter about

one-fourth the length of the head ; placed on the left side ;
approximating ; the lower one rather more advanced than
large,

remarkably

the upper

full

between them a projecting ridge

basal

and

posterior margins of the preopercle meeting at a very obtuse

angle, the former rising obliquely to
line

commencing

very

much

meet the

arched, but afterwards straight

body,

but more especially the upper,

scales

minute

latter

both

those beneath

extending very nearly to the caudal, at the

ing underneath the

tail,

dorsal fin

upper eye, and

same time pass-

in advance of the

commencing immediately

where the rays become very delicate

greatest elevation of the fin near its retral extremity

much produced,

those which follow

some of the

last in

commencing

those on the upper side having their free

having the denticles finer and more numerous

fin

first

sides of the

extremely rough

margins set with from four to six denticles

ray very

lateral

upper part of the opercle, at

at the

nearly three times

first

the length of

most of the rays divided at their tips ;

anal
the fin branched from the bottom
:

in a line with the posterior angle of the pre-

opercle, answering to the dorsal,

and terminating

manner beneath the

tail

caudal oblong, the

extremity rounded

in the

same

greatest elevation corresponding

:

inserted

pectorals

behind the posterior lobe of the opercle, a little below the

middle ; the first ray very short, the next three or four
longest, the succeeding ones nearly as long

pectoral on the

eye side rather larger than that on the side opposite

fins

ventral

immediately before the anal, and appearing like a con-

VOL. n.

250

PLEURONEC'l

tinuation of that

other species
rays

D. 87

The

K.

but not connected with

fin,

vent situated between the two

the rays of

to their tips.

ID

it,

as in the

last

pairs of

the fins covered with rough scales nearly

all

The numbers

P. leftside 12

of the fin-rays are

right side 11

V. 6

A. 68

C. 16.

colour above brown, or reddish brown, mottled and

spotted with black

lur^c

round spot, more conspicuous

than the others, in the middle of the side towards the posterior part of the

body

fins spotti-d

under side plain white.

WHIFF.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

251

PLEURONECTID^

THE WHIFF.
THE CARTER, Cornwall.
Rhombus megastoma,

Whiff,

La
Passer Cornubiensis,

Whiff,

Pleuronectes pseudopalus,
,,

megastoma,

THE WHIFF

YARRELL.

Regne An. t. ii. p. 341.

RAY, Syn. p. 163, fig. 2.
PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 324, pi.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 51.
FLEM. Brit. An. p. 196, sp. 98.

Cardine, CUVIER,

appears to have been

first

52.

described and

figured by Ray from Mr. Jago's Catalogue of Cornish Fishes,

which is introduced, with short notices and representations, in

This fish seems to occur more frequently

Ray's Synopsis.
Mr.
Cornwall than on any other part of our coast.
Couch says, " This species is well known to the Cornish

in

who apply the name of Carter to it. It keeps on

sandy ground, at no great distance from land, and takes a

fishermen,

bait, so that it is

Flatfishes

but

caught as often as any of the salt-water

not highly esteemed for the table, chief-

it is

ly from being so thin."

PLEUllONECTiD.E.

Mr. Donovan found

Wales

in

it

and Mr. Jenyns has

Manual of

the British Vertebrate

tained two on the Devonshire coast

described

it

in his valuable

Colonel Montagu ob-

Animals, from a specimen obtained by Professor Henslow

Most of the specimens recorded measured
at Weymouth.
from eighteen to twenty-one inches in length.

But few
seldom

are

particulars

in the

known

London market

of this
I

which measured seventeen inches

fish.

It appears but

obtained one in June 1834

in length,

from which a

are taken.
representation and the following description

The

length of the head from the point of the upper jaw to

the posterior edge of the operculum, compared to the length

of the body alone, without the head or caudal rays,

to three

cluded,
third

is

as

one

the breadth of the body, dorsal and anal fins ex-

is

to the whole length of the fish rather less than one

the dorsal

of the nose and

commences half-way between the point

and ex-

fin

the anterior edge of the upper orbit,

tends to within three-quarters of an inch of the end of the

of the

fleshy portion

and the base of the caudal rays

tail

the pectoral fin on the under or white side

is

considerably

smaller in size, and contains two rays less, than that on the

upper side

the ventral fins are of

as in the preceding species of the

some extent

at the base,

genus Rhombus

the anal

under the origin of the pectoral fin,

whole
extends along the
length of the abdominal line, and
ends near the tail on the same plane as the dorsal fin ; the

fin

commences

in a line

tail
fleshy portion of the

narrow

is

the caudal rays three

inches long, and slightly rounded.

The

fin-rays in

D. 89

number

P. 11

are

V. 6

A. 71

C. 13. Vertebrae 41.

The mouth is large ; the lower jaw the longest, with a

rounded projection under the symphysis the teeth on both
;

WHIFF.
jaws numerous,

pointed and

upper one the most

lower
lateral

so,

sharp

and placed

the orbits separated

by

the

eyes

farther

large

the

back than the

a prominent

line conspicuous, elevated,

toral fin,

253

bony ridge the

and double over the pec:

one portion being a continuation of the prominent

straight line along the

body, the other rather

less conspi-

cuous, taking a high curve over the lower and the pectoral
fin

both

lines

ultimately approaching each other again at

the upper angle of the operculum, as shown in the woodcut

an elongated oval ; the surface rough;

the scales rather large ; the colour a uniform yellow brown ;

the form of the body

the fins rather lighter

is

specimen in the British

various spots, as

shown

the under side smooth and white.

Museum
in

exhibits faint indications of

Mr. Donovan's coloured

figure.

254

I'LKrilONECTID.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
PLEURONECTID&.

MALACOPTERYG11.

THE SCALDFISH.
SMOOTH SOLE.

MKGHIM, Cornwall.
Rhombus Arnoglossus,

Scahljish,

Arnoglossus l&vis,
Pleuronectes casurus,

,,

,,

Arnoglossus,

Rhombus nudus,

THE

Risso, Hist.

,,

SCALDFISH,

YARRELL.
CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 342.
WII.LUGHBY, p. 102, F. 8, fig. 7.
PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.iii.p. 325, pi. 53.
FLEM. Brit. An. p. 197, sp. 100.

,,

,,

,,

or

MEGRIM,

t. iii.

as

p.

it

251, sp. 141.

called in Corn-

is

wall, appears, like the species last described, to

we yet know,

country, as far as

southern coast, and

been taken between

Mr. Couch
its

says,

only at present recorded as having

Weymouth and the Land's End.

" he has never known

gers

and

its

it

is

it

it

follows from

it

much preyed upon by Conthis

stomachs of which they

that

It seldom exceeds four or five

it

M.

keeps in deep

inches in length

but Mr. Couch has seen one that measured

a half.

take a bait, and

being an object of attention

other large fishes, in the

often find

water."

but they say

this

is

diminutive size prevents

to fishermen

be in

exclusively confined to the

Risso says the females are very

six inches

prolific.

and

SCALDFISH.

The

length of the head

three, caudal rays excluded

the dorsal

length

or anal

fins,

is

255

to that of the

as

body

one to

the depth of the body, without

to

equal

of the whole

one-third

the dorsal fin commences over the upper

eye, and

reaches very nearly to the end of the fleshy portion of the

the pectoral fin long

tail;

on the under side

anal fin

in a line

commencing

ing near the

and narrow, but shorter and smaller

ventral fins under the gill-cover

on the same plane as the dorsal

tail

rays of moderate length, and slightly rounded

of

all

the

under the pectoral, and endfin

caudal

but the rays

the fins in both the specimens before me, from which

the description

taken, extend considerably

is

beyond the con-

necting membranes of each, as shown in the woodcut.

The

fin-rays in

number

D. 87

The mouth

is

P. 6

large,

are

V. 10

irides

yellow

A. 60

C. 18.

eyes rather large

orbits separated

with small teeth in both jaws

jaw the longest when separated

blue

by a bony

ridge

lower
pupils

upper

eye larger than the lower, and placed more backward in a

vertical

line

body

towards the

parent, almost

indebted to
:

enables

M.

also

me

at

narrowed

all

wanting, so easily are they removed on the

the

possess

am

speci-

one from the Mediterranean, which

to say that our fish

Risso, as quoted.

ment

oval,

the scales large, round, thin, and trans-

body of the fish appears naked.

the kindness of Mr. Couch for a Cornish

slightest touch

men

in shape an elongated

tail

The

is

the

Rhombus nudus

lateral line after its

of

commence-

the posterior edge of the operculum rises slightly

fin ; then descending gradually, deviates but

from a straight line throughout the remainder of its
The colour of both specimens is alike, a
course to the tail.

over the pectoral

little

uniform pale yellow brown.

856

PLEURONECTID^E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG1L

PLEURONECTID&.

THE
/.</

rulgaris,

CUVIER, Regne An.

Suit',

Sole,

Buglossus sen Soleu, Sole,

Pleuronectes Solea,

SOLE.

r,

\Vii.i.rciiHY,

p.

Common

Sole,

DON.

Brit. Zool. vol.

342.

iii.

pi. 45.

p.

311.

Brit. Fish. pi. 62.

Fi EM. Brit.

Sole,

p.

100, F. 7.

I'.i.ocii, pt. ii.

,,

Solea vulgaris,

t. ii.

Pinax, p. 187.

An.

p.

197, sp. 101.

Both eyes and colour on the right'side the mouth dison the side opposite the eves small teeth in both jaws, but confined to
the under side only, none on the same side as the eyes; form of the body obGeneric Characters.

torted

long

and anal

dorsal

THE common

fins

extend to the

Sole

is

tail.

so universally

known

only a particular notice of those points in

are the least obvious.

our coast, where

it

It inhabits the

its

as to require

economy

sandy shore

all

that

round

keeps close to the bottom, feeding on the

smaller testaceous animals, and the spawn and fry of other

fishes.

It

east coast

is

taken

but

among the Orkneys, and along

it is

of small comparative

the south and west are

much

larger,

size

the north-

the Soles of

and considered otherwise

superior to those of the north and east.

The

Sole

is

found northward as

far as

the Baltic and the

SOLE.
seas of Scandinavia;

257

and southward, along the shores of Spain,

Portugal, and the Mediterranean.

It

was

first

described

by

Bellon.

and of these an enormous quantity

are caught
It
;
they seldom take any bait.

Soles

almost entirely by trawling

is

usual to send

them

to

Soles of small size,

market in baskets, within which the

called Slips, are arranged nearest the

wicker-work forming the outside of the basket

being more

Soles,

valuable,

are

packed

the larger

the

in

middle.

Eighty-six thousand bushels of Soles were received at Billingsgate market only within the last twelvemonths.

The

Sole

is

found

full

of roe at

the latter end of

Fe-

They are then for a few weeks soft and watery ; but
they soon recover, and throughout a great portion of the

bruary.

year are deservedly in high estimation

firm,

and of excellent flavour

the flesh

is

white,

those from deep water are the

finest in quality.

The

principal trawling-ground in

England

south coast from Sussex to Devonshire

is

along the

the Sole has also

been taken on the shores of various counties

in Ireland, viz.

On
Cork, Waterford, Antrim, Londonderry, and Donegal.
the Devonshire coast there are two great fishing stations,
Brixham and Torbay

the boats from which, using large

trawling-nets from thirty to thirty-six

a continual supply.
taken.

feet in

beam, produce

Soles of very large size are occasionally

have a record of one pair taken in Torbay which

measured twenty-three inches in length each, and weighed

but for the particulars of the largest I
together ten pounds
;

have heard

W.

of,

am

indebted to the kindness of the Rev.

F. Cornish, of Totness.

This specimen, a remarkably

and very thick, was twenty-six inches long,

fine-grown
eleven inches and a half wide, and weighed nine pounds.
fish,

Totness market, June 21st, 1826.

258

PLEURONECTIDE.
Dr. M'Culon " Changing the Residence of certain
water to fresh,"* says, he was informed that

Soles appear to thrive well in fresh water.

loch, in his papers

Fishes from

salt

a Sole had been kept in a fresh-water

pond in a garden for

and adds, that in Mr. Arnold's pond at Guernsey, which has been before referred to, the Sole becomes
twice as thick as a fish of the same length from the sea.

many

years

letter

from a gentleman residing on the banks of the Arim

" I succeeded
yesterday

contains the following statement

who caught

the Soles about which you

and
who
has
in
been
the
constant habit of trawling
inquire,
for them with a ten-feet beam trawl in this river for the last
in seeing the person

The

forty years.

November.

season for taking them

They

from the mouth

it

from

is

May

till

breed in the river (Arun), frequenting

five

miles upwards, -f which

the town of Arundel, and remain in

it

is

nearly to

the whole year, bury-

ing themselves in the sand during the cold months.

fisherman has occasionally taken

them of

large

size,

The
two

pounds' weight each, but frequently of one pound ; and they

are thicker in proportion than the Soles
usually caught at
sea.
In other respects, precisely the same ; and it is evident
they breed in great numbers in the river from the quantity of
small ones about two inches long that are constantly brought

on shore when drawing the net for Grey Mullet."

Reversed Soles that is, having the eyes and the brown
colour on the

mon

and

lour, with

The
fish as

side instead of the right

rough

specimen that

ciliated scales

length of the head

one to six

is

is

on both

are not

uncom-

of the usual dark cosides.

to the whole length of the entire

the breadth of the body, dorsal and anal

Royal Institution Quarterly Journal, No. xxxiv. July 1824, and No.

xxxviii.
t

left

I possess a

July 1825.
view of this part of the Arun, see

1'or a

vol.

i.

page 209.

SOLE.
fins

259

excluded, compared to the whole length, as one to three

the nose

mouth

is

rounded and produced, projecting beyond the

the upper jaw the longest ; both jaws furnished with

minute teeth on the under or white side of the fish only the
:

eyes small

the lower eye over the angle of

upper eye placed more forward in a

yellow

the pupils blue

the mouth

vertical line

the

the irides

the space between the eyes, the

and covered with small rough

ciliated scales
the pectoral and ventral fins small the dorsal
fin begins at the point of the nose, the anal fin under the
cheek, and operculum,

flat,

line of the

edge of the gill-cover

both extend the whole

length of the body, ending on the same plane, near the base
of the caudal rays

and both these

fins

have a

series of small,

rough, ciliated scales, extending along the line of each ray

the

tail

The

number

fin-rays in

D. 84

The form

P. 7

of the

distance behind the

pointed towards the

are

V. 5

A. 67

body

C. 17.

Vertebrae 47.

a long oval, widest at a short

is

head, becoming narrower and

tail

rather

the colour on the upper side al-

most a uniform dark brown

the scales small, each ciliated

and rough to the touch the lateral line running

from the tail forward to the operculum, then rising

at the edge,

straight

rather long, and slightly rounded.

and ending on a

orbit; the pectoral fin

side the colour

numerous

is

edge of the upper

On the under
tipped with black.

line with the superior

white

soft papillae.

about the nostril and mouth are

260

ri.KUKOXKCTID.E.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

PLEUROXECTID&.

THE LEMON
THE FRENCH SOLE,
Solea pegusa,
,,

Lemon

,,

Sole,
,,

,,

DURING

SilSSe.V

COdSt.

YARRELI,, Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 467, pi.

JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 467, sp. 155.

a short visit to

Brighton

in

16.

the last week of

obtained a single example of this species

February 1829,

SOLE.

of Sole, which appeared to have been previously unnoticed

as occurring on our shores.

Since

it

was described

in the

Zoological Journal, as above quoted, I have obtained, but at

considerable intervals, two or three other specimens of this
fish in

the

London market, and have now deposited exam-

Museum and

ples in the British

the collection of the Zoolo-

gical Society.

This species

is

common

occasionally taken with the

when trawling over

Sole

a clear bottom of soft sand, about sixteen

miles from

Brighton in a direction towards the coast of

France; from which circumstance this fish is known to some

of our fishermen by the

name

of French Sole

others call

it

LEMON
by that of Lemon Sole,

SOLE.

61

in reference to its prevailing

yellow-

ish colour.

In shape the Lemon Sole is wider in proportion to its

whole length than the common Sole, and it is also somewhat
thicker ; the head is smaller, being in proportion to the

whole length of the

than as one to seven

fish rather less

breadth of the body, dorsal and anal

half the whole length

the same as in the

number of

the arrangement of the fins

common

Sole

the

exactly

is

nearly

but the fin-rays and the

vertebrae differ.

D. 81

The

fins included,

P. 8

V. 5

prevailing colour

A. 69

C. 17.

Vertebra 43.

a mixture of orange and light

is

brown, freckled over with numerous small round spots of

dark nutmeg brown, giving a mottled appearance to the

whole upper
line

lateral

marked;

The

surface.
is

the

scales

differ

in character;

the

straight, but not so prominent or strongly

tail is narrower than in the common Sole,

though containing the same number of rays the end of the

On the under side the appectoral fin spotted with black.
;

pearance
species.

is

still

more

The under

characteristic of the distinction of the

surface of the

head

is

almost smooth,

without any of the papillary eminences so numerous and

remarkable in the

common

a prominent tubular

other
scales

Sole,

and the

projection, which

the under surface

is

nostril is pierced in
is

wanting in the

white, with the appearance of the

more strongly marked than upon the upper.

262

PLEUEONECTIDJE.

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYG1I.

PLEURONECTWM.

THE VARIEGATED
Moitochinu Imgttatu/tti,
Solea parva sire liiignla,

CTVIER, Regne An.

t. ii.

,,

variegatus,

343.

p. 102, F. 8, fig. 1.

DUHAMEI., sect. ix. pi. 2.

Redbacked Flounder, PENN.
p.

Solea variegata,

p.

RONDELETU s.
WlLLUGIIBY,

Pole panachte,
Pleuronectes lingulu,

SOLE.

DON.

Variegated Sole,

FLEM.

,,

Brit.

313,

pi.

Zool.

vol.

Brit. Fish. pi.

Brit.

An.

iii.

49.

p.

17.

197, sp. 102.

Generic Characters. The pectoral fin on the upper or eye side small
that
on the under side minute, almost imperceptible, or entirely wanting in other
;

respects like Solea.

THE VAIUEGATED SOLE

last

are

appears, like the

Lemon

Sole

and but few specimens

though it seems to have a

described, to be a rare species,

to

be found in collections,

wide range.

According

to Professor Reinhardt,

it

is

found

In the Magazine of Natural

Mr.
a notice appears, vol. vi.
conducted
Loudon,
History,
by
Mr. Donotaken
at
that
it
has
been
page 530,
Rothsay.
van obtained one seven inches long in the London market ;

on the shores of Scandinavia.

and Mr. Jenyns has described

this fish in his

Manual from a

VARIEGATED SOLE.

68

Colonel Montagu menspecimen procured at Weymouth.

tions that Dr. Leach bought three in Plymouth market in
August 1808, and gave him one of them, measuring nine
inches in length, from which his notes of the species were

recorded in his MS.; and Mr. Couch has observed

wall,

very kindly sending

But

woodcut was executed.

this species

Plymouth
It

but

it is

me

little is

stated in

it

Corn-

in

a specimen, from which the

known

Pennant that

of the habits of
it

appears about

in the spring.

immediately distinguished from either of the Soles

is

previously described here, by

variegated colour

its

by

its

which are larger ; by its pectoral fins, which are much

smaller, that on the under side being very minute ; and by

scales,

the dorsal and anal fins, as

derably short of the

The whole
inches

in the cut,

ending consi-

tail.

of the

length

specimen described was five

fins, one inch and three-

the breadth without the

eighths

shown

the length of the head compared to that of the

body alone, as one to four the dorsal and anal fins ending on
the same plane, but not reaching the base of the caudal rays,
:

and both having the numerous rays projecting beyond the

edges of the connecting membranes, as shown in the cut ;
the right pectoral fin small, that on the under side consisting

of only two unequal, slender, and short rays.

The

fin-rays in

D. 67

number

P. right side 4

The body

is

lateral line

are
left

side 2

V. 5

A. 52

:.

C.. 16.

the scales larger, the divisions strong-

the edges ciliated,

straight

on the body and

clouded both

brown

the under surface white

harsh to the touch.

rough to the touch

the

the colour of the upper side reddish

brown,
;

thicker in proportion than either of the Soles

previously described
ly marked,

scales

fins

with darker

also ciliated

and

CYCLOPTEEHXE.

264

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

CYCLOPTER1DM.*

THE CORNISH SUCKER.

Cornish Sucker, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 189, sp. 71.
PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 181,

Lepidogaster Cornubiensis,

Jura Sucker,

Cyclopterus Lepidogaster,

pi.

Ocellated Sucker,

ocellatus,

Lepidogaster biciliatus,

,,

,,

DON.

25.
Brit. Fish. pi. 76.

Risso,

Hist.

torn.

iii.

p.

272,

sp. 163.
,,

Cornish Sucker,

Cornubiensis,

JENYNS, Man.

Brit. Vert. p. 469,

sp. 157.

Body smooth, without

Generic Characters.

and near the

scales

dorsal

and anal

fins

pectoral fins large, descending to the inferior surface

of the body, and by an extension of the membrane surrounding an oval disk ;
ventral fins united by a membrane which extends circularly under the belly,
opposite,

tail

forming a second concave disk.

BARON CCVIER

has called the third family of the Sub-

brachial Malacopterygii, Discoboles, on account of the disk

formed by the union of the ventral fins.

The term CYCLOPTERID.E, derived from an original Linnsean generic name, is
here adopted in order to preserve uniformity in the names of
*

The

family of the Sucking-fishes.

CORNISH SUCKER.

The

the families.

pectoral fins in these

265
fishes

are large,

descending to the inferior surface of the body, where they are

joined by four strong rays, and, united by a membrane to a
similar structure

an adhesive disk.
disk

is

The

on the opposite side, form the boundary of

In the species of the first genus, a second

formed by the union of the ventral fins.

few species belonging to this small family are very

remarkable for the power they possess of attaching themselves to stones, rocks, or other substances,

by means of the

adhesive apparatus on the under surface of their bodies, apparently deriving some degree of protection and support from
the contact.

The two

British species belonging to the

first

genus are

small, defenceless, their bodies smooth, without scales

and

the power of attaching themselves to stones, &c. which they

are seen to exercise,

may be

by enabling them

useful

the action of strong currents or dashing waves, and

applicable with

them

is

to resist

perhaps

to other uses, with which naturalists are

not yet acquainted.

The

first

prettily-marked species of Sucking-fish was dis-

covered by Dr. Borlase,

wall,
fish,

and described
in

his

it

Natural

afterwards found

it

who found

it

on the coast of Corn-

under the name of the Lesser-SuckingPennant

History of that county.

at Jura, in the Hebrides,

consequence the Jura Sucker

but

if

and called

any name

it

in

indicative of

it ought to have
been that only in which it was first discovered ; and I have
therefore followed Dr. Fleming and Mr. Jenyns in calling it
the Cornish Sucker, although this name is not entirely free from

a peculiar geographical locality

is

admissible,

objection, two other species of fishes, provided with suckers,

being found in Cornwall.

fish is there called

Mr. Couch

men, from the readiness with which

VOL.

II.

says, however, that this

pre-eminently the Sucking-fish

it

by

fisher-

adheres to any substance,

266

CYCI.OPTEHID.E.

and even to the hand that seizes

a circumstance which

it,

"

has also been noticed by Colonel Montagu.

in

habits

its

but seems to wander, since

abundant, and at others

rare.

low-water mark, where

is

beneath a stone.

which

insects,

it

The whole

Its food

is

sometimes

haunts are about

Its usual

by the tide, concealed

Mr. Couch, " large with

often left

I find it," says

March.

in

spawn

it

It is sluggish

it

is

crustaceous animals and marine

swallows entire."

length

inches and a half;

the

of the
1

two

described was

specimen

distance from the point of the nose

end of the gill-cover was equal to one-third of the

mouth prowhole length of the fish
the head depressed
to the

duced

much

very

flattened

narrower than the head

has

spatula-like; gape elongated: numerous

under
both jaws, forming a band in each

been aptly called

small teeth

in

surface of the head very flat

the

the opening of the gill-cover

upper surface of the head

first

disk before the line of

the second disk behind

smooth

it

before the inner corner of

each eye a small flattened filament, about equal in length to

the diameter of the eye itself;

much

shorter

behind this a second, but

both of a bright carmine colour

behind the

eyes, which are widely separated, are two distinct, red, eyelike spots the dorsal fin commences about half- way between
:

the eyes and the end of the

the

rounded
pectoral

tail

the anal fin begins

and both are joined to

tail,
;

it

by

nearer

the

the posterior part of the body compressed.

fin

large,

with

an

extension

underneath

stronger rays, which with the connecting

sides of the

the

still

membrane

tail

The

of four

membrane form the

most anterior disk of the two

an extension of

membrane

front.

only, without rays, being continued along the

Immediately behind the broad swimming portion of

the pectoral fin on each side, a

vertical position,

membrane

arises in the

which joining the united ventral

fins

same
forms

CORNISH SUCKER.

267

the free edge of the second disk, the

rays of the two ventrals

occupying the posterior portion, and the continuation of the

connecting membrane making the circle entire.

The

fin-rays in

number

D. 18

The

are

P. 19

A. 10

C. 18.

general tint a pale flesh colour with spots and patches

of carmine about the upper and under surface of the jaws,

around the eyes, on the top of the head, sides of the body
and abdomen. The description was taken from the largest
of five specimens, on three of which the spots behind the
eyes were conspicuous, but wanting in the other two.

The appearance of the surface of the disk is shown in the

woodcuts of some of the more closely allied species, to assist
in determining specific distinction.

The

vignette below represents a

a rocky coast.

The

man

fishing for

fisherman deposits around

prawns on

him

ten hoop-nets, each baited with a piece of stale fish

bung by way

of a buoy

is

attached to each hoop.

eight or

a large

The man,

with a long forked stick raises the nets in succession, by

putting the fork of the stick under the bung, and deposits

them again

after examination.

CYCLOI'TEIUD.E.

268

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGIL

CYCLOPTER1DM.

THE BIMACULATED SUCKER.

Brit.
Lepidoguster bimuciilntns, Bitnucn luted Sucker, FLEM.

Ciidopi

,,

PENN.

,,

,,

An.

p. 190, sp. 72.

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

p. 182,

pi. 25.

DON.
,,

,,

p.

Lepidogaster

,,

,,

Brit. Fish. pi. 78.

MONTAGU, Linn. Trans, vol.

,,

,,

JENYNS,

,,

vii.

293.

Man.

Brit.

Vert. p.

470, sp. 158.

THIS

very distinct species was

first

described

by Pennant

from a specimen sent him by the Duchess of Portland, which

was taken at Weymouth.
It has since been taken by Mr.

by Professor Henslow

Donovan on

the coast of

Weymouth

by Colonel Montagu in Devonshire, and at

two

Kent

different localities in Cornwall, Polperro

at

and Penzance.

been taken by Mr. William Thompson of Belwhen dredging for shells on the coast of the county of

It has also
fast,

Down

in Ireland.

Colonel Montagu obtained

cross,

adhering to stones

cimens alive

for a

it

and old

day or two

by deep dredging at Torand kept some spe-

shells,

in a glass of sea-water.

IUMACULATED SUCKER.
" In

269

they always adhered to the sides of the

this situation

glass by the apparatus termed the sucker, and frequently

remained fixed till they died ; and even after death the power

of adhesion continues

the wet finger being applied to the

when alive they instantly

taken out of the water."

part, the fish becomes suspended

hand

attach themselves to the

Mr. Couch
ding species
water mark.

In

says

but

keeps in deeper water than the preceoccasionally found under stones at low-

it
is

which

this species, of

in length

if

I possess several examples, varying

from three-quarters of an inch to one inch and threehead is depressed ; the posterior por-

quarters in length, the

tion of the

body compressed

the whole length,

to

mouth wider

than

in

is

shorter,

no filaments before the eyes

gold

the pupils blue

part of the pectoral

fin,

compared

the preceding species

but the jaws not so much produced

similar
;

the head

the

the teeth

the irides pink and

the additional rays at the inferior

and the connecting membrane on

each side, making up the lateral portions of the anterior disk,

are

much

longer

the ventral fins form the sides of the second

or posterior disk, and are also elongated

fins

of equal

size,

between which and the two

considerable space

The

fin-rays in

tail

commenc-

not connected with the

fins

just

named

there

is

rather elongated.

number
D. 6

The

the dorsal and anal

opposite, short, placed far back

ing and ending on the same planes

tail,

are

P. 19

A. 6

general colour carmine red

neath, with a light-coloured patch

C. 10.

pale flesh colour under-

between the eyes, and

the two
;

otherwise liable to some variation in the markings

spots on the sides not always very obvious
are without these lateral markings.

young specimens

270

CYCLOl'TERID.E.

SUBBRACH1AL
MALACOPTERYGll.

CYCLOPTEIUDJE.

THE LUMP SUCKER.

SEA-OWL, and COCK PADDLE.
LINNJEUS.

BLOCK, pt.
CUVIER, Regne An. t.

Cyclopterus lumpns,

Lumpus Anglorum,

WILLUGHBY,

Cyclopterus lumpus,

Lump

,,

,,

208,

N.

pi. 90.

p.

346.

11.

Sucker, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

DON. Brit. Fish. pi.

FLEM. Brit. An. p.

Lump-fish,

Generic Characters.

p.

iii.
ii.

Head and body

iii.

p. 176, pi. 24.

10.

190, sp. 75.

deep, thick, and short

back with an

the investing skin enclosing simple rays ; pectoral fins uniting

under the throat, and with the ventrals forming a single disk.

elevated ridge,

THE LUMP SUCK KB,

is

remarkable for

form, while from the large size of

and thickness in reference to

tively small size of

its fins,

it

its

its

very grotesque

body, both as to depth

length, and the comparaits

appears calculated to

slow progress through the water.

make but

LUMP SUCKER.
It

is

more

and beyond

plentiful northward than

this

nant includes

it

in his Arctic Zoology.

Reinhardt include

it

Low

common

it

and sent

it is

among

months

that in the spring

bello,

eaten.

Professors Nilsson and

Dr. Neill says

Orkneys.
of Portothe
sands
on
caught

Edinburgh market, where

fish

April or the beginning of

at Belfast

American shores

Some

May.

and the

its

it is

considered superior to

eastern and southern coasts

shore for the purpose of depositing

been taken

Pen-

caught on the

is

in the
it is

for sale to the

Along our

It

taken more exclusively during spring, when

in

coast,

the fishes of Scandinavia; and Mr.

purchased for table, and the male

the female.

on our southern

country has a most extensive range.

coast of Greenland, where

considers

271

it

it is

also

approaches the

spawn, which happens

This species has also

Lump

Sucker of the North

apparently identical with our own.

of our fishermen consider that we have on our coast
is

two species of Lump-fish, which they distinguish by the

names of Red-Lump and Blue-Lump, considering the first
only as eatable

but the difference in colour, and also in the

quality of the flesh,

only the effect of season

is

the fine ex-

ternal colour, as well as the firmness of the flesh, being lost

to the fish for a time

it

is

The

then by

by the exhausting process of spawning

them considered as the worthless

ova forming the hard roe are of large

The young

size,

Blue-Lump.
and of a

fine

and a half long,

and three inches in height, by the end of November. Shaw's
the
specimen, of six inches in length, to which he attached
a young fish of our comspecific name of Pavonma, is only
orange colour.

mon
its

species,

which

perfect colour.

for

As

are four inches

want of

sufficient age

the Lump-fish

is

had not attained

retentive of

power of adhesion is sometimes made

Pennant says, " That on placing a
ment.

life, its

the subject of experi-

cies, just caught, into a pail of water,

it

fish

of this spe-

fixed itself so firmly

272
to the

bottom, that on taking

means was

that

by

VrLOl'TKRlD.E.

<

lifted,

by the

it

though

that without removing the fish from

The Lump-Sucker

feeds

tail,

the whole pail

held some gallons, and

it

its hold.'"

principally on

young

fish,

of

Mr. Couch says that it

devours a large quantity.
he
has
found in its stomach
and
a
sometimes takes
bait,
which

it

various OHI.ST/.

In the month of March the colours of the Lump-fish are

in the highest perfection,

combining various shades of blue,

purple, and

rich orange

the shops of

London fishmongers, suspended by

of the back,

it

is

then frequently to be seen in

the middle

attracting attention from the combination of

singular form and brilliant colours.

specimen sixteen inches long is usually about eight

the length of the head is
inches deep, and four inches wide
:

about one-fourth of the whole length of the

ing line of the profile of the

head

is

fish

abrupt

the descend-

the back highly

arched and somewhat compressed, forming a ridge, with a

row of tubercles along the upper edge

on cutting through
;
found to be supported by several
rays, which sometimes from abrasion of the hard skin appear
the integument, the ridge

externally,

is

and have been considered

blance to an anterior dorsal

and over the

is

last third

the true dorsal

fin,

fin.

as bearing

Behind

portion of the curve of the dorsal line,

the length of the base of which

equal to the length of the longest of

fins

some resem-

this central ridge,

its

rays

is

about

the pectoral

descend low on the sides, and passing forwards enclose

the adhesive apparatus which extends anteriorly to the edge

of the

membrane connecting the branchiostegous

backwards as

far

the operculum

rays,

and

in a vertical line as the posterior angle of

the union of the ventral fins complete the

single disk of the only species of this genus that inhabits our

LUMP SUCKER.
The

seas.

anal fin

under or opposed to the dorsal, and of

is

nearly the same size and shape

The

number

fin-rays in

D. 11

Each of the

73

the

tail

moderate.

are

P. 20

A. 9

C. 10.

row of hard tubercles along a conThe whole surface of the

rays with a

siderable portion of their length.

head and body is covered with small bony tubercles, most of

which are more or less stellated in form. Along several parts
of the body are rows of larger and more prominent tubercles,

with surfaces minutely granulated

one row occupies the cen-

of a portion of the back

two or three tubercles are

tral ridge

placed on each side just in advance of the dorsal fin ; one

long row ex-tends from the upper angle of the operculum in a
straight line to the

tion of the tail

above the pectoral

of the

tail

fin to

the lower part of the fleshy portion

another row of large size extends along the ab-

domen on each
anal

upper part of the end of the fleshy por-

a second long row reaches from the space

side

as

far

as the

commencement of the

fin.

The mouth
longest

is

wide

the lips fleshy; the lower jaw the

a band of short and small teeth in each jaw

small patch of rounded teeth on the root of the tongue, with

others at the pharynx

the irides a fine red

the sides of the head and body, and

all

the colour of

the upper parts,

varying shades of dark blue, lighter blue, and purple

the

under surface of the head and body, fine rich orange ;

lips,
After the season
all the fins tinged with the same colour.
of spawning
for a time.

is

over,

much

of the brilliant colouring

is

lost

274

CYCLOl'TEKID.E.

SUBBRACH1AL
MALACOPTERYGII.

i:YCLOPTEHU)M,

THE UNCTUOUS SUCKER,

ML.

OR.

/.s

iitl<:

CrviEii,

,,

></(/,
s

'innis

DON.

,,

Body without

Generic Characters.

pi. iv.

Sucker, PI-.NN.

,,

pi.

1'iit.

scales,

THE UNCTUOUS SUCKER,

or

and slimy surface of

its

the

soft

more common

have even found

it

Zool. vol.

fig.

1.

3.

iii.

p. 179, pi.

ward Parry

yet

fessor Nilsson or

it

as far

ventral fins united to the

SEA-SNAIL,

so called from

body, appears to be much

Mr. Scoresby, and other observers,

north as Greenland
and specimens
;

it

first

Rcinhardt in their accounts of the

Suecica.

Da vis's

Arctic voyage of Captain Sir

Ed-

does not appear to be mentioned by Pro-

the Scandinavian shores

Fauna

24.

smooth, elongated, compressed

were taken in the trawl-net on the west coast of

Straights during the

his

6,

fig.

in the northern parts of the British Islands

than in the southern.

of

123,

Brit. Fish. pi. 47.

a single dorsal fin rather lengthened

a single disk.
pectorals, and surrounding

posteriorly

73.

Hindi,

lijniris,
,,

,,

'''lit. An.
p. 190, sp.
Regne An. t. ii. p. 346.
\Vn I'CiiiBY, App. p. 17, H.

nor

is

it

fishes of

included by Linnaeus in

UNCTUOUS SUCKER.
Mr. Low
of

many

" The Sea-Snail

says,

places of

is

275

found under the stones

but no place more frequent than

Orkney
Ness of Stromness, where they may
;

that at the point of the

be picked up by dozens.

1'

Mr. Donovan obtained a specimen from among a parcel of

Sprats at Billingsgate fish-market ; and those who recollect

mode

the wholesale

of fishing for Sprats practised by the

at page 123, will not be surand curious fishes of small size are

Stow-boatmen, as described
prised that

many

rare

caught with the Sprats.

It

is

also obtained

on the southern

under stones, and in small pools of water

coast,

left

by the

ebbing tide. Dr. Mac Culloch says this species ascends rivers
from the sea to deposit its spawn, and it is frequently found

Pennant says it is full of spawn

January, and the matured ova are said to be very large.
feeds on aquatic insects, testaceous animals, and very

near the mouths of rivers.

in

It

small fishes.

The whole
inches, which

but

it is

head

is

length
is

said to

of the specimen described was four

common size of the adult of this species;

grow much larger in the Northern Seas the
the

about one-fourth of the whole length of the

fish

the

space between them depressed ;

thick and fleshy ; the mouth wide,

eyes widely separated, the

the nose blunt

the lips

but not deeply divided. Mr. Low says it has no teeth ; but
this is an oversight ; the teeth are very numerous, and small,
with minutely recurved points, forming a broad rasp-like

band

in each

minent

jaw

papillae

the tongue also broad, covered with pro-

the lower jaw rather the longest

opening placed high up

compressed, and tapering
;

the
all

the gill-

form from the shoulder

the

way

to the tail

the

is

body

invested with a thin semi-transparent membrane, which encloses

dorsal

it

like a bag,

the fixed points being the lines of the

and anal fins; the pectoral

fins

are

large,

and the

276

CYCLOPTERIDJE.

lower portions descending the side are attached to additional

rays like ventral

fins,

which extending

far

forward are situ-

ated exterior to the sides of the adhesive disk

tumid
anal

the dorsal

fin,

fin

begins

and both end

The

The

colour of the

P.

&

body

fin-rays in

V. 32

is

the belly

nearer the head than the

close to the tail

ther long and narrow.

D. 36

much

A. 26

the caudal rays ra-

number
:

are

C. 12.

a pale brown, irregularly striped

with lines of a darker colour, which take different directions,

and give a variegated appearance

sides

to the head,

back, and

these lines are confined to the outer thin skin, and

do not appear upon the more solid surface underneath

in
this state some authors have called this species lincatus ; but
;

these markings are not constant, and

many examples

are

without any streaks or lines, the edges of the dorsal and anal
the
only being edged with a darker colour
sometimes the pectoral fins, slightly barred and

fins

When

kept in diluted

spirit of wine, the

characters of the species

fish loses

may

both markings and

tail,

and

spotted.

coloured lines and

be easily preserved ; but this

allowed to become dry.

size if

MONTAGU'S SUCKING-FISH.

SUBBRACH1AL
MALACOPTERYGIL

277

CYCLOPTERIDJE.

MONTAGU'S SUCKING-FISH.
DIMINUTIVE SUCKER.
FLEM. Brit. An. p. 190,
Montagu's Sucker,
CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 346, note 2.

Liparis Montagui,
,,

,,

Cyclopterus Montagui, Diminutive Sucker,

MONTAGU,

sp. 74.

Wern. Mem.

vol.

i.

p. 91, pi. 5.

DON.

,,

THIS

Montagu's Sucker,

,,

,,

Brit. Fish. pi. 68.

PENN.

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

p. 183.

species of Sucking-fish, smaller in size than the one

last described,

was

first

discovered

by Colonel Montagu.

was sent by that excellent observer to Mr.

who
was then publishing his Natural History of
Donovan,
drawing of

it

British Fishes, and with

whom

Colonel Montagu, originated.

was of very diminutive

size.

the specific name, referring to

The

first

specimen obtained

Subsequently Colonel Montagu

having acquired various other larger and adult specimens,

published a description and figure of this species himself in
the

Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History

already quoted.

Society, as

278

<

This

fish

VCLOPTEIUDK.

has since that period been found on various

of the coast.

Dr. George Johnston has obtained

[tarts

Ber-

in

it

wick Bay; Mr.

and

it

Thompson has taken it in Belfast Bay;

not uncommon in Cornwall, as well as on the

is

Devonshire coast.
Colonel Montagu says this species inhabits only the rocky
parts of the coast, and of course is rarely taken with the

Those obtained by

dredge.

its

discoverer w ere

found at

exceedingly low tides among the rocks at Milton, on the

south coast of Devon.
When it is adhering to a rock the
posterior part of the

frequently turned to one side,

is

body

nearly parallel with the anterior part, the

tail being brought

This habit of curving its body has been
observed by all those who have found this species.
Mr. Couches notice of it in his MS. is as follows: " This

close to the head.

is

common

species in the

seems

ever,

more

rare than at others.

and when the

West

of England, where, how-

wander, since at certain times

to

it

tide has

It possesses considerable activity

ebbed

it

is

neath a stone, where when at rest

forwards towards the head.

it

usually throws the

have never seen

fixed substance.
The young come to
Montagu's Sucker, in the adult state,
and a half to three inches long the body
:

broad, a

the

little

life in

it

tail

adhere to

September.'"

from two inches

is

rounded

is

as far as

head
posterior end somewhat compressed
mouth
depressed, and inflated about the gills

moderately large
nute teeth

often found concealed be-

any

the vent

much

is

it

both jaws armed with several rows of mi-

eyes small, and

placed high

iricles

golden

pupils dark blue, with a single blue line descending from the

eye to the angle of the mouth

branchiostegous membrane
ventral fins unite
five

the

first is

the operculum angular

transparent

rounded

the

the

pectoral and

in the last,

four or

rays on each side invest the adhesive disk, which

is

sin-

MONTAGU
gle, small,

Sucker

is

and

circular

SUCKING-FISH.

an enlarged representation of the

here added to assist in affording the means of

determining the species

the belly

farther from the

is

The

removed behind the sucker.

far

279

head than in the

very tumid
dorsal fin

last species

the vent

commences

the most an-

but gradually increasing in length form a

towards the tail, where it is rounded
the anal fin

terior rays short,

broad

fin

The

shorter than the dorsal.

D. 26

This description

The

P.

is

&

line perceptible

by

V. 29

A. 24

number

are

C. 12.

partly obtained from Montagu's paper.

prevailing colour

sional bluish tints

fin-rays in

is

a dull orange, varied with occa-

the fins brighter orange red

a lighter-coloured streak

the lateral

the under parts

of the body, and about the throat and sucker, white, tinged

with flesh colour.

ECHENEID^.

280

SUBBRACHIAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

ECHENEIDX.

THE COMMON REMORA.

Echeneis remora,
,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

Sucking -Jish,

TURTON,

Le Remora,

BLOCK,
('i

,,

Mediterranean

Brit.

VIKR,

Body

p. 94, sp. 38.

172.

Regne An.

t. ii.

p.

Rtmora, PENN. Brit. Zool.

p. 524.

Common Remora, JENYNS, Man.

Generic Characters.

Faun.

pt. v. pi.

347.

vol.

iii.

App.

Brit. Vert. p. 473, sp. 162.

elongated, covered with very small scales

single dorsal fin placed opposite the anal ; the head very flat, covered with an
oval disk formed by numerous transverse cartilaginous plates, the edges of
which are directed backward ; the mouth wide, with numerous small recurved
teeth

on both jaws, the tongue, and the vomer.

DK. TURTON

in his British

Fauna

includes this species

of Sucking-fish, having taken a specimen himself at Swansea

from the back of a Codfish in the summer of 1806.

The

species

of this singular

family are not numerous

Cuvier enumerates but four that are as yet made known, and
another large West Indian one has been more recently described.

They

are immediately recognized

by the

flattened,

COMMON REMORA.
oval, adhesive

disk,

281

on the top of the head, by means of

which they are able to attach themselves firmly to the surface of other fishes, or the bottoms of vessels
but whether
;

for protection or conveyance, or both,

is

a question which has

not been satisfactorily ascertained.

The Greeks and Romans were

Mediterranean species, which

well acquainted with the

the fish under present con-

is

sideration.

The
which
is

length of the head, from the end of the upper jaw,

is

much

the shortest, to the end of the operculum,

whole length of the

nearly one-fifth of the

of the

fish

the depth

body about one-seventh of the whole length

form of the head

much

the

the
very
depressed
about
the
middle
round
in
the
form,
body
nearly
posterior
half compressed
the mouth is wide ; the opening nearly
horizontal, with two bands of minute teeth in the elongated
is

flattened,

lower jaw, a single band on the upper jaw, with others on

the tongue and vomer, all curving inwards
the eye placed
:

about half-way between the point of the upper jaw and the
rounded end of the operculum ; the gill-aperture very large ;
the adhesive disk in this species contains seventeen or eighteen

transverse

ridge
lip,

the disk

laminae, divided by a longitudinal mesial

commences just behind and above the upper

and extends nearly

of the pectoral fin-rays

as far
all

membrane, which imparts

to

back as the line of the ends

the fins are covered with a dense

them the consistence of

the pectoral fins are rather small and rounded

leather

the ventrals

narrow, very close together, the inner ray of each attached

to the central line of the belly

and anal
fish,

fins

by a membrane

the dorsal

are both placed behind the mid-length of the

beginning and ending on the same plane

the end of

the caudal rays crescent-shaped.

VOL.

II.

F.<

The

number

fin-rays in

D. 21

The

P. 22

HENKIDJS.
are

V. 4

A. 20

C. 20.

dusky brown ; the under part of the body

the fins darker in colour than
rather lighter than the back
colour

is

the body.

The

disk of the adhesive apparatus in the specimen

described with

seventeen

of the whole length of the

rays

fish,

not including the caudal

The

the breadth one inch and one quarter.

on the

left side

now

laminae was one-third

transverse

figure

of the vignette represents the outer surface

of the anterior half of the disk

the margin

is free,

flexible,

and of considerable breadth, to secure perfect contact with

the parallel laminae are
the surface to which it is opposed
;

represented as only slightly elevated

is

the degree of adhesion

power used to

in proportion to the

raise the inner surface

of the disk in a direction perpendicular to the plane of contact.

The

figure

on the right side of the vignette represents

the inner surface of the posterior half of the disk.

tical

direction of the

moveable laminae

is

The

ver-

by

sets

effected

of muscles going off obliquely right and left from two elon-

gated bony processes, one on each half of each of these moveable divisions.

upon these

The

contraction of these

levers, raises the external

divisions, increasing the area of the

muscles, acting

edges of the parallel

vacuum

and

it

will

be

observed that the points of the moveable transverse divisions

to which the muscles are attached are nearer the middle line

than the outer edge, by which the chance of interfering with

the perfect continuity of the free margin, and thereby destroying the vacuum,

diminished.

is

the outer edges of which

tooth-like projections,

All the bony laminae,

are furnished with rows of

are

moved simultaneously,

minute

like the

COMMON REMORA.

283

common wooden window-blinds

thin vertical divisions of our

by means of the mechanical contrivance on the frame-work.

The

longer muscles placed nearer the outer oval edge are

probably instrumental in preserving the contact of the more

flexible

margin,

parallel laminae

tained

vacuum.

and

the

serrated

external

edges

of the

help to preserve the degree of elevation ob-

the adhesive power

is

in proportion to the area of the

284

MU11.EN1D.E.

APODAL
MALACOPTERYGJL

MURJENIDJE.

SHARP-NOSED EEL.
Zool. Soc. 1831,
Anguilla acutirostris, Sharp-nosed Eel, YARREI.L, Proceed.
Zool. Journ. vol.
pp. 133 and 159.
iv.
,,

omnium autorum, WII.LVOHBY,

,,

acutirostris, Sharp-nosed

1.' I.

p.

p.

469.

109, G. 5.

Man.

.'ININS,

Vert.

Brit.

474,

p.

sp. 163.

Mureena anguilla,
,,

,,

L'Anguille,

LINNJEUS.

Common

Eel,

PENN.

,,

FLEM.

Anguilla vulgaris,

,,

,,

,,

Long-bee,

,,

,,

Common

Eel,

BLOCH,

pt.

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.
iii.

pi. 73.

p. 191.

Brit. An. p. 199, sp. 109.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 349.
BOWDICH, Brit. Fr. Wat. Fish. No.

7.

Generic Characters.

Body cylindrical, elongated, covered with a thick

the scales very small ; lubricated with copious mucous secrewith a row of teeth in each jaw, and a few on the anterior part of

and smooth skin

tion

the

mouth

vomer

dorsal

fin,

pectoral fins close to a small branchial aperture

fin, and caudal fin united.

BARON CUVIER,
fourth order,

the

which have an elongated form of body

The genus
first

fins

genera forming his

has brought together those fishes with

destitute of ventral fins,

dal.

no ventral

in this family of the Murtenidte, or Eel-

shaped Fishes, which includes several

fins

anal

and are

soft

they are also

in consequence called

Anguilla^ including our

of this order.

common

Apo-

Eels,

is

SHAKE-NOSED EEL.

The

general appearance of the Eel

so unlike that of

most other

description

it

yet

was not

is

285
so well

till

a period of very

became acquainted with the

that naturalists

known, and

fishes, as to require but a slight

modern date

fact that

the

fresh waters

of several countries produce three or four dis-

tinct species

which had previously been confounded together.

Thus

the

edition of the

first

Regne Animal, published

1817, included but one species of

as well

known

common

the second edition, published in 1829, con-

tains a short notice of four different species

not

if

all four,

The form

in

fresh-water Eel

three of which,

are found in this country.

of the Eel, resembling that of the serpent, has long

excited a prejudice against

it,

which exists in some countries

even to the present time ; and its similarity to snakes has

even been repeated by those, who, from the advantages of
education, and their acquirements in natural history, might

have been supposed capable of drawing more accurate conThere is but little similarity in the snake and the

clusions.

Eel except

in the external

form of the body

the important
and the character of the
:

internal organs of the two animals,

most decidedly

skeleton, are

different.

Eels are in reality a valuable description of fish their flesh

excellent as food ; they are very numerous, very prolific, and
:

is

are found in

almost every part of the world.

species are hardy, tenacious of

In

this

ponds

life,

and very

country they inhabit almost

all

The

various

easily preserved.

our rivers, lakes, and

they are in great esteem for the table, and the con-

The Lonsumption in our large cities is very considerable.

don market is principally supplied from Holland by Dutch
fishermen.

There

five vessels each

in

are

two companies in Holland, having

their vessels are built with a capacious well,

which large quantities of Eels are preserved alive till

One or more of these vessels may be constantly

wanted.

286

MUR.ENIDJE.

seen lying off Billingsgate

the others go to Holland for

fresh supplies, each bringing a cargo of

pounds'* weight of live Eels,

to

15,000

20,000

which the Dutch merchant

for

pays a duty of 131. per cargo for his permission to sell.

Eels and Salmon are the only fish sold by the pound weight
in the

London market.

Eels are not only numerous, but they are also in great
request, in

many

Researches, vol.

page 286, says

great favourites, and arc

enormous

they generally

by the person who

the

young

hole, and,

chief,

On

by

fed them.

an

two or

the sides of

remained, excepting when

called

have been several times with

when he has

are

until they attain

are kept in large holes,

three feet deep, partially filled with water.

these pits

Polynesian

" In
Otaheite, Eels

tamed and fed

These pets

size.

Ellis, in his

other countries.

ii.

sat

down by

the side of the

giving a shrill sort of whistle, has brought out

an enormous Eel, which has moved about' the surface of the

w ater, and eaten with confidence out of its master's hand.""

" Most of the writers on the habits of the Eel have der

scribed

the

them

autumn

as

making two migrations

to the sea

ning of summer,

performed by

The autumn

the sea.

from

adult Eels, and

is

one in

migration

is

believed to be for the purit

is

parent fish never return up the rivers.

commonly supposed

the other in spring, or at the begin-

pose of depositing their spawn

is

in each year

to be confined

also said that

The

these

spring migration

to very

small

Eels,

not more than three inches in length, and in reference to the

fry alone,

it is

too well known, and too often recorded, to be

matter of doubt.

The

passage of countless hundreds of

young Eels has been seen and described

Thames,* the Severn, the

*

as occurring in the

Parrett, the Dee, and the Ban.

See an excellent account

by Dr. William Roots, of Kingston, published in
the second series of
Gleanings in Natural History, by Edward Jesse, Esq.
p. 50.

SHARP-NOSED EEL.

287

I am, however, of
opinion, that the passage of adult Eels to

the sea, or rather to the brackish water of the

estuary,

is

an exercise of choice, and not a matter of necessity ; and

that the parent Eels return
up the river as well as the fry."

" All

authors agree that Eels are

There

cold.

are

no Eels

the rivers of Siberia, the

tributary streams

extremely averse

Wolga,

to

none

in

the Danube, or any of

its

the arctic regions,

yet the rivers of the southern parts of

Europe produce four

There

species.

and Eels

in general,

in

in

no doubt that

is

particular, are able

fishes

to appreciate

even minute alterations in the temperature of the water they

The mixed

inhabit.

water they seek to remain in during

the colder months of the year

is

of a higher temperature than

the pure fresh water of the river,

or that of the sea.

a well-known law in chemistry, that

ferent densities

ture

is

come

when two

It

is

fluids of dif-

in contact, the temperature of the mix-

elevated for a time in proportion to the difference in

density of the two fluids, from the mutual penetration and

condensation.

Such a mixture

is

constantly taking place at

the mouths of rivers that run into the sea, and the mixed

water maintains a temperature two degrees warmer than that

This elevation

of the river or the sea.

in the temperature of

the water of estuaries and the mouths of rivers

is,

have no

doubt, one reason why they in general abound in young fish."

In a tideway river the descent of the Eels towards the
brackish water takes place during the autumn, and various
devices are

employed

in their progress.

in different streams to intercept

The

vignette at the

them

bottom of the next

page represents the form of an apparatus used in various parts

of the Thames, called an Eelbuck, consisting of a framework
of

wood supporting

form.

The

the stream,

any

fish

various wicker-baskets of a particular

open end of each basket is opposed to

and by the peculiar structure of the inside,

large

once within the body of the basket, cannot escape.

MTU

in

KNID.E.

During the cold months of the year Eels remain imbedded

mud ; and large quantities are frequently taken by K el-

spears in the soft soils of harbours and banks of rivers, from

which the tide recedes, and leaves the surface exposed for
The Eels bury themselves twelve
several hours every day.
or sixteen inches deep, near the edge of the navigable chan-

and generally near some of the many land-drains, the

water of which continues to run in its course over the mud
nel,

into the channel during the whole time the tide

Somersetshire the people

banks of

rivers in

which Eels arc

not lying over them as

The

in heaps.

weather

is

his paper

know how

it

laid

does elsewhere, and dig them out

not confined to this country

on the Fishes of

that city,

sa\>,

mud, and

are

'

In

out.

up, by the hoar-frost

practice of searching for Eels in

Transactions of the

is

to find the holes in the

New

Literary and

mud

in cold

Dr. Mitchill, in

York, published

in

the

Philosophical Society of

In the winter Eels

lie

concealed in the
"

taken in great numbers by spears.

Thus

SHARP-NOSED EEL.
hrfoedded in

y^a low

289

in a state of torpidity, the

mud,

Dr. Marshall Hall has shown

degree of respiration.

that the quantity of respiration

irritability.

With

respiration,

co-exist

vation of air and of food

3rd. Little activity

inversely as the degree of

is

degree of irritability and a low

a high

The power

1st.

Eel indicates

2nd.

of sustaining the pri-

low animal temperature ;

life.
All these

4th. Great tenacity of

peculiarities Eels are well

known

to possess.

The high

de-

gree of irritability of the muscular fibre explains the restless

motions of Eels during thunder-storms, and helps to account

enormous captures made in some rivers by the use of

gratings, boxes, and Eel pots or baskets, which imprison all

for the

that enter.

perature

ground

is
till

The power

of enduring the effects of a low tem-

shown by the
frozen,

fact,

that

then buried in

Eels exposed on
snow,

and

at

the

the end

of four days put into water, and so thawed slowly, discovered

and soon perfectly recovered.

The mode by which young Eels are produced appears to
have long been a subject of inquiry, and the notions of the
gradually signs of

life,

ancients as well as of

and

mud

fanciful.
;

bodies

some of the moderns were numerous

Aristotle believed that they sprang from the

Pliny, from fragments which were separated from their

against rocks ; others supposed that they

from
carcases of animals ; Helmont believed
the
proceeded
that they came from May-dew, and might be obtained by the

by rubbing

following process

" Cut
up two

turfs covered with

May-

dew, and lay one upon the other, the grassy sides inwards,
and thus expose them to the heat of the sun ; in a few hours

them an

there will spring from

Horse-hair from the

tail

infinite quantity of Eels."

of a stallion,

when deposited in

water,

was formerly believed to be a never-failing source of a supply

It was long considered certain that
of young Eels.
they

were viviparous

this

belief

had

its

origin probably in

the

MUR.ENID.E.

numerous worms that are frequently to be found in various

parts of the bodies of Eels, sometimes in the serous cavities,
at others in the intestinal canal.

eight different species of entozoa

The enormous number

Eels

of young

common to
known

fresh- water Eels.

to be

produced by

a good negative proof that they are oviparous

is

fishes producing,

parous

Rudolphi has enumerated

vivi-

on the contrary, but few young at

a time, and these too of considerable size

when

first

excluded.

Having devoted time and attention to the close examination

of numbers of Eels for many months in succession, the further details of which will
series

of Gleanings in Natural History,

belief that

my

repeat

young

be found in Mr. Jesse's second

like other true

" The

I need
only here
Kris are oviparous, producing their

bony

fishes.

sexual organ consists of two long narrow sacs ex-

tending one on each side of the air-bladder throughout the

whole length of the abdominal cavity, and continued for two

The membranes forming this

on
the
inner
surface the milt of the
secreting

inches posterior to the vent.

tubular sac,

male, and affording attachment for the ova in the female, are

puckered or gathered along the line of junction to the peritoneal covering of the spine, and the free or loose floating
edge
is

is

therefore thrown into creases or plaits like a

frill.

It

probably from this folded or convoluted appearance the

sexual organs of the Eel have frequently been called fringes.

By

the kindness of

my

friends

Mr.

Clift

and Mr. Owen, of

the Royal College of Surgeons, I have had the pleasure of

seeing

some drawings belonging

Hunter,

in

to

the collection of

John

which these peculiarities of the sexual organs in

the Eel are beautifully exhibited in various magnified representations."

Dr. Mitchill of

New

been already referred

York, whose paper on Fishes has

" the roes or ovaria of Eels

to, says,

may

SHARP-NOSED EEL.
be seen by those

who will look

for

them

291
in the proper season,

like those of other fishes."

Eels that have lain in brackish water

the

all

the winter under

constant

influence of the higher temperature of that

probably deposit their spawn earlier in the spring
than those which have passed the winter in places from which

locality,

there existed for

them no

possible egress.

In the Mole, the

Wey, the Longford river, and in some large ponds, the

Eels in the spring of 1833 did not deposit their spawn till
near the end of April ; but in two Eels from Sheerness
received and examined on the

appearances induced

me

passed some time.

before the

The

young Eel

18th of May, the internal

to believe that the roes had been

How
is

long the ova remain deposited

produced,

duration of this interval

is

is,

I believe,

unknown.

very variable in different

The roe of the Herring, deposited at the end of

October or the beginning of November, is said to become
the ova of Eels, the produce
living fry within three weeks
fishes.

of which
period.

very small, do not probably require a longer

Both the parent Eels and the fry occupying the
is

brackish water appear to have the power of going either to

the salt water or to the fresh without inconvenience, from

the previous preparation which the respiratory organs have

undergone, and

many

of both are found in pure sea water

the great bulk of the young, however, certainly ascend the

stream of the river, and their annual appearance in certain

places

is

looked for with some interest.

young Eels up the Thames

The

passage of

Kingston in the year 1832

commenced on the 30th of April, and lasted till the 4th of

May

but I believe I

am

at

correct in stating that few

young

Eels were observed to pass up the Thames either in the year

1834 or 1835. Some notion may be formed of the quantity
of young Eels, each about three inches long, that pass
up

292
the

Thames

in the spring,

and

in other rivers the

of summer, from the circumstance that

it

beginning

was calculated by

two observers of the progress of the young Eels at Kingston

1832, that from sixteen to eighteen hundred passed a
This pasgiven point in the space of one minute of time.
in

young Eels is called le\-fare on the banks of the

Thames, the Saxon word signifying to go, to pass, to travel ;* and I have very little doubt that the term Elver, in
sage of

common
is

use on the banks of the Severn for a young Eel,

a modification or corruption of Eel-fare.

"

When

the Elvers appear in the Severn, they are taken

in great quantities with sieves of hair-cloth,

common

basket,

offered for sale.

and,

after

They

or even with a

being scoured and boiled, are

are cither fried in cakes or stewed,

and are accounted very delieimis."

There is no doubt that Eels occasionally quit the water,
and when grass meadows are wet from dew, or other causes,
travel during the night

frogs

over the moist surface in search of

and other suitable food, or

Some ponds

change their situation.

to

continually produce Eels, though the owners of

these ponds are most desirous

of keeping the water free

from Eels, from a knowledge of their destructive habits towards the spawn and fry of other fishes.
Other ponds into

which Eels have been constantly introduced are obnoxious to

in the water
and they are known to

them from some quality

leave such places during the night,

their passage to other retreats.

and have been found on

Dr. Hastings, in his Illus-

Natural History of Worcestershire, says at

"I will here mention a curious confirmation of

trations of the

page 134

the opinion in favour of the overland migration of Eels.

"a
pedestrian on the road is called
way-faring man ;"
" the fare."
the price for
travelling by a conveyance is called
*

"

thoroughfare," &c.

and hence,

We

A
also,

have also

SHARP-NOSED EEL.
Mr. Perrott was out

relative of the late

in his park with his

keeper near a large piece of water, on a very beautiful evening,

when the keeper drew

Eel quietly

his attention to a fine

ascending the bank of the pool, and with an

undulating
motion making its way through the long grass
on further
observation he perceived a considerable number of Eels qui:

etly proceeding to a range of stews, nearly the distance of a

quarter of a mile from the large piece of water from whence

The

they started.

and

stews were supplied

a rapid brook,

by

in all probability the instinct of the fish led

direction as a

means of finding

their

way

to

from whence their ultimate destination, the

This circumstance took place
near Enstone."
obtained.

That Eels breed

in that

large river

sea, might be
Sandford Park,

also in the fresh water of inland rivers

and lakes from which they are unable to

believe, certain.

at

them

some

visit

the sea,

constant supply for the table

throughout the winter in these

localities,

is

is,

obtained

as well as at other

seasons, by gamekeepers and fishermen, who have charge of

waters thus situated and no doubt exists in their minds that
;

these Eels are bred in the places from which

tained, and of which the great
size is

they are ob-

variation that occurs in the

an additional proof.

The Eel
the year.

is a voracious feeder
during certain months of
In winter the stomachs of those which I examined

were empty

by the middle of March

found the stomachs

of others distended with the larvae of various insects, and the

bones of small

fishes.

They

are

known

to

consume a large
them

quantity of spawn, and will attack large Carp, seizing

by the
injury.

though without the power of doing them further

Occasionally they eat vegetable substances, and

fins,

have been seen swimming about the surface of water, cropping

the leaves of small aquatic plants.

By means

of a long and

294

MI'H.ENID.E.

Eels

capacious air-bladder,

rise to various elevations in

tlie

water with great ease, and sometimes swim very high even in

When Whitebait-fishing in the Thames, I

deep water.
once caught an Eel in the net in twenty-six feet depth of
water, though the Whitebait-net does not dip more than
about three feet below the surface.
Eels appear to be slow of growth, not attaining greater
length than twelve inches during the

mature roe

first year,

species, however, acquires a large size.

the preserved

pounds

sharp-nosed
saw at Cambridge
together

fifty

the heaviest twenty-seven pounds, the second twen-

They were taken on

ty-three pounds.
at

of two which weighed

skins

and do not

The

the second or third year.

till

draining a fen-dyke

Wisbeach.
is

Ely

have been so named from rents being forthe lords of manors in the isle were

said to

merly paid in Eels

annually entitled to

more than 100,000 Eels.

stick of Eels was twenty-five

stich

or

and the practice of stringing

Eels on tough slender willow-twigs, put in at the gill-aperture and out at the mouth, still prevails in Dorsetshire

among

those

house

on a

stick,

who

carry Eels about for sale from

house to

one, two, or three pounds' weight being thus strung

to suit

Severn obtained

its

different

name from

which are taken there.

customers.
the

Elmore on the

immense number of Eels

SHARP-NOSED EEL.
In

295

Eel of twenty-two inches

a sharp-nosed

in

three distances taken from the point of the lower

the whole length of the Eel as follows

the base of the pectoral

mencement of the

fin, as

to the

two to seventeen

dorsal fin, as two to seven

mencement of the anal

length,
are to

jaw

upper part of
;

to the

com-

and

to the

com-

fin, as nine to twenty-two.

In a sharp-

nosed Eel of twenty inches in length, the pectoral fin will

be almost one inch, and the vent more than an inch, nearer
the head than the same parts in a broad-nosed Eel of the

same length.
The head

compressed, the top

is

slopes forward

angles of the

mouth

convex, depressed as

it

the eyes small, placed immediately over the

the jaws very

irides reddish yellow
;
lower
the
end
the
rounded
at
;
narrow, slightly
jaw the longest
nostrils with two openings on each side, one tubular,
:

the other a simple orifice

band of small teeth

both jaws furnished with a narrow

gape small ; various mucous pores

about the mouth and other parts of the head ; gill-open;

ing a small aperture immediately before and rather below

the origin of the pectoral fin ; the scales on the body rather
small dorsal fin extending over more than two-thirds of the
whole length of the fish ; anal fin occupying more than half
:

of the whole length

tail

the

number of

both united at the end, forming a

rays in the fins not easily ascertained,

from the thickness of the skin

long

series

of mucous orifices

the lateral line exhibits a

vertebrae

113.

The

vent

includes four distinct openings, the most anterior of which

leads upwards to the intestine, the posterior to the urinary

bladder in a direction backwards, and one elongated lateral

opening on each side communicating with the cavity of the

abdomen,

as in other

The cranium on
page 303,

is

bony

fishes.

the right hand of the three, figured at

that of the sharp-nosed Eel.

296

}IfK

The

prevailing colour of

olivaceous green

F.Xll) F.

all

the upper surface

the sides lighter

is

the belly white.

a dark

When

the fish are obtained from pure streams, the colours are clear

and bright, and

water over

it

is

Eel

called a Silver

muddy bottom,

when taken from

brown and

the colours are

dusky.
in 1831, while pursuing some
physioloon the circulation of the blood in various

Dr. Marshall Hall,

gical investigations
reptiles

and

fishes,

The

the Eel.

observed a pulsating sac near the

form, action, and connexions of

tail

of

this sac are

best seen under the microscope.

seven inches in length,

in a strip of linen cloth,

if

rolled

up

young Eel of

leaving out a small portion only of the

tail, will

when placed on

may be

The

thread.

a long slip of glass, or

pulsation observed in this sac

is

six or

remain quiet

tied to

it

with

entirely inde-

pendent of the action or influence of the heart, and the number of beats more than double in the same period of time ;
they also continue after the heart has been removed.

Some

Continental physiologists have ascertained that these pulsating

sacs, which are found in the frog, the toad, the salamander,

and the green lizard,* contain lymph, and direct its motion,
and they have accordingly called them lymphatic hearts.

They

are

only observed in connexion with veins.

" Such

"

Dr. Muller,
the pulsating organ discovered by
Dr. Marshall Hall at the end of the vena caudalis of the

is," says

Eel, where that organ receives the venous branches of the

extremity of the
caudalis.

tail,

But organs

and conducts

its

blood into the vena

of pulsation in the lymphatic system

have hitherto been altogether unknown ; it is not probable

that they should exist only in amphibia, and
important discoveries of a like nature in the higher animals, such as birds
*

See a paper in the Philosophical Transactions for 1833, by Dr. John

Muller, Professor of Physiology in the University of Bonn.

SHARP-NOSED EEL.

297

and mammalia, may be expected

my researches, as regards
In anthese, have however been hitherto unsuccessful."
;

other part of his paper, Dr. Muller observes,

"

I have never

discovered a trace of motion in the cy sterna chyli and ductus

thoracicus of

mammalia."

In a conversation with Mr.

Owen on

this subject,

he sug-

gested, that as the valves of the lymphatic vessels are very few

and imperfect

in reptiles

and

fishes, especially in the latter,

these pulsating sacs would seem to be superadded as a com-

pensating power in the absence of that mechanism which

a

impresses

definite direction

upon the currents of the

especially
I

am

and an unintermitting flow

lymph

in

the higher vertebrata,

mammalia.

indebted to the kindness of Dr. Marshall Hall for

permission to copy the excellent illustration of this structure

in the tail of the Eel, from his
very interesting critical

and

experimental essay on the circulation of the blood.

In the vignette the arrow-heads indicate the direction of
the currents.

VOL.

II.

M r it T:\HI

298

r..

APODAL

MURXNJDX.

MALACOPTERYG1I.

TIIK
ittiiwtris,

BROAD-NOSED EEL.
\KRELL, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1831,
Zool. Journ.
pp. 133 and 159.

Br,

vol. iv. p. 469.

,,

,,

JENYNS,

,,

,,

Man.

Vert.

Brit.

p.

476,

sp. 164.
,,

CUVIER, Regne An. f. ii. p. 349.

BOWDICH, Brit. Fr. Wat. Fish, No. 22.

A. pimperneaux,

,,

Glut Eel,

THE BROAD-NOSED EEL

as

is

the Sharp-nosed Eel, but

from
head

it

by the much

almost as
is

common

a species

immediately distinguished

greater comparative breadth of the

the representation at the top of the page

is

therefore

confined to that part of the fish which exhibits the best

distinctions

and the vignette to the Snig Eel, page 303,

represents in the left-hand figure of the three

nium of the Broad-nosed Eel,

exists

This Eel

in the bone.

Pennant, who

"
says,

They

show

to
is

the Grig or Glut Eel of

have a larger head, blunter nose,

and thicker skin than the common

also

heads the cra-

this character as it

sort."

It

is,

probably,

the Frog-mouthed Eel of the Severn, referred to

Dr. Hastings,

in

his

by

Natural History of Worcestershire,

BROAD-NOSED EBL.

299

page 135, and so called by the fishermen from the extraordinary width of the mouth.

In

its

habits the Broad-nosed

common Eel

but

it

Eel has not been

am

guished by any peculiarity that I

distin-

aware of from the other

does not appear to attain so large a

size,

the largest I have seen not exceeding five pounds in weight.

It

many of the waters which produce the Sharpis much thicker in the
body in proportion to its

exists in

nosed Eel,

length, and fishermen

can distinguish this

when

fishing in the dark

in the

hand.

The term Grig

is,

by

its

more

soft

readily

species

and unctuous

however, in and about London, ap-

plied to a particular Eel of small size, of which the

here introduced represents the head.

guille plat-bee of Cuvier,

who

considers

it

This Eel

Regne Animal,

a distinct species.

of Mrs. Bowdich's British Fresh

in

feel

It

is

torn.

is

ii.

figure

An-

the

p.

349,

the Grig Eel also

Water

Fishes,

No. 28,

which work the three Eels already spoken of here are well

figured
tical

and the species were considered by Cuvier

Regnc Animal.

as iden-

with those of the

The name Grig

is

also applied

by Thames fishermen

to

Eel of any species when not longer than

any
eight or nine inches, and of which eight or ten are required
small-sized

to

make up

pound weight.

In a Broad-nosed Eel of twenty-two inches in length,

three distances taken from the point of the lower jaw are to
the whole length as follows

to the upper part of the base

of the pectoral
of the dorsal
of the anal

to the

commencement

and

to the

commencement

as two to thirteen

fin,

fin, as

one to three

ten to twenty-two.

fin, as

The Broad-nosed Eel

has the head rounded at the back

part, and flattened from the eyes forward ; both jaws broad
and blunt the lower jaw the widest, and longer than the
;

upper

nostrils double,

the gape large

one tubular, the other a plain

lips fleshy

teeth

orifice

more numerous than

in

either of the other British fresh-water species, larger, strong-

and forming a much broader band

er,

in each

large, placed before the line of the gape

low

the gill-openings, pectoral

the eyes

golden yel-

commencement of

fin,

Sharp-nosed Eel
;

and the vent, placed farther back than in the

dorsal and anal fins also much deeper and
the body of the fish
the tail broad and rounded

the dorsal

thicker

the

fins,

jaw

irides

thicker for the same length than in other Eels

the

number

of vertebrae 115.

The

colour of the

upper surface of the body

is

a dark-

greenish brown, subject to some variation, depending on locality, soil,

and the quality of the water.

SNIG.

#01

APODAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

MUR&N1D&.

THE

SNIG.

Anguilla mediorostris, Snig Eel, YARRELL.

JESSE, Glean. Nat. Hist.

Series, pp.

JENYNS, Man.

,,

AM

Brit. Vert. p. 477, sp. 165.

indebted to the kindness of Mr. Jesse, and his

friend, Francis Mills, Esq. for the only specimens

Eel

2nd

75 and 76.

have yet seen

and from some differences

nal characters, in its habits,

the head, as well as

some

and

of this

in its exter-

also in the comparative size of

peculiarity in the five cervical verte-

brae that are nearest the head,

I believe

it

to be a different

species from either of those previously described in this work.

The specimens I have had were from the Avon in Hampshire,
is

where

this Eel, rather

called the Snig,

and

well-known and more

is

remarkable for

its

yellow colour,

considered distinct from the other

common

Eels.

Dr. Hastings, in the Appendix to his Illustrations of the

Natural History of Worcestershire, page 135, says, that
besides an Eel called the Frog-mouthed Eel by the fisher-

men, from the extraordinary width of the mouth, identical,

" there are
probably, with the Broad-nosed Eel of this work,
two

distinct kinds of Eels in the Worcestershire

Silver and

of the

Yellow Eel," which

Avon

of Hampshire.

last

may be

Avon, the

similar to the Snig

302

Miril.ENID.E.

The term

it

Snig,

name

counties a general

mode

should however be stated,

for

any

of fishing for Eels, which

works on Angling,

is

sort of
is

Eel

some

in

is

and a particular

described in most of the

called Sniggling.

The Hampshire Snig

differs

from our other Eels in

its

habit of roving and feeding during the day, which other Eels

do not.

It

considered excellent as an article of food, and

is

of a superior flavour to other Eels

attain a large size,

The

fishermen

make

placing their eel-pots

Snigs

finding

it

however

does not

seldom exceeding half a pound in weight.

mode

a certain difference in the

when they

by long experience

are desirous

of

of catching

that the Snigs get

into

those pots the mouths of which are set in the opposite direction, in reference to the stream,

mon

to others in

which the com-

Eel* an- taken.

In the comparative breadth of the nose, the Snig is intermediate in reference to the Sharp and Broad-nosed Eels,
but rather more resembles that with the sharp nose ; it has a
slight

but elongated depression extending from the anterior

edge of the upper jaw to the upper and back part of the

head

the tubular openings of the nostrils are longer,

and the

mucous pores about the

lips larger and more conspicuous ;

both jaws rounded at their extremities, the lower one the
longest ; teeth longer and stronger than in the common sharp-

nosed species

gape large

the angle and the posterior edge

of the eye on the same vertical line

commencement of the

dorsal fin,

the pectoral

fins,

the

and the vent, are each

placed nearer the head than in either of our fresh- water Eels.

The

general colour olive green above, passing

by a

lighter

green to yellowish white below.

Desirous of obtaining internal

among

characters

of distinction

our fresh-water Eels, I prepared skeletons of each

species, selecting three

examples that measured exactly the

308

SNIG.

same length,

in order to afford a

more just comparison.

The

bottom of the page represents correctly the

and power of bone in each species. The cra-

vignette at the
relative

size

nium on the

left is

the middle

from the Snig

is

that of the Broad-nosed

;

Eel

that in

the head on the right hand

is

from the Sharp-nosed Eel. It is obvious that each is able

to overcome a larger and more powerful victim as food than
It will also be seen, that independent of some
the other.
difference in the length

and form of some of the bones,

as

well as in the size of the head in the middle, belonging to

the Snig, as compared with that on either side, there

racteristic

The

first

a cha-

form of the bones of the verte-

distinction in the

bral column.

is

five

cervical vertebrae

are

smooth

and round, entirely destitute of superior or lateral spinous

processes, both of which are possessed by the other two, of a
size

corresponding to the character of the vertebral bone

self to

which

it

belongs.

With

it-

this exception, the skeleton

of the Snig most resembles that of the Sharp-nosed Eel

but

is

somewhat

stronger,

and particularly so

of the other vertebrae generally.

in the processes

MUR.ENID.E.

3()4

APODAL
MALACOPTERYGJL

MURJENID&.

THE CONGER.
Le Congre, CUVIER, Regne An.

Conger vulgaris,

WILLUOHBY,

Conger,

Murtena Conger,

LINNAEUS.

,,

Conger Eel, PENN.

DON.
,,

The

Generic Characters.
in the fresh-water Eels

pt.

p. 350.

6.
v. pi. 155.

iii.

p. 196.

Brit. Fish. pi. 119.

Brit.

dorsal fin

the upper

BLOCH,

ii.

G.

Brit. Zool. vol.

FLEM.

,,

t.

p. Ill,

An.

p.

200, sp. 110.

commences much nearer

jaw the longest

the head than

in other respects resembling

the genus Anguilla.

THE CONGER EEL

a marine species well-known on

is

the rocky parts of the coast of the British Islands, but

all

nowhere more abundant than on the coast of Cornwall.

Mr. Low

says,

Orkney Islands
but the otter

He

brings

is

"It

is

some

are caught at the fishermen's lines

far the

found very frequently round the

most

by
them ashore, and

eats

leaving the rest for the next comer

known, the country people

search

but a very small part,

and where

his haunts are

are very careful every

for the remains of the night,

and

are

morning to

seldom disap-

pointed, but find Cod, Ling sometimes, but especially

gers,

successful in killing Congers.

Con-

which are oftener seen amongst the deep hollows of the

rocks than farther to sea."

CONGER.

305

Dr. Neill says this species is sometimes, but not very

often, found in the Forth ; and, in proof of great tenacity of

mentions having seen one alive and vigorous in the

Edinburgh market, although it had been ten hours out of
life,

water.

The Conger

is

frequently caught at various rocky parts of

our eastern coast, and I have known specimens of large size

taken in winter "about the mouth of the Thames.

are caught

by

Congers

modes

and hand-lines

bulters, or long-lines,

of fishing already described, and the most esteemed bait

well assured," says Colonel Montagu,

French fishermen of the advantage derived from the

the sandlaunce.

"

are the

is

" So

use of this little fish, that the fishing-boats in times of peace

run over from the coast about Dieppe to Slapton Bay, on
the south coast of Devon, on purpose to purchase launce ;
and for that purpose alone do some of our fishermen keep

purpose of supplying bait to these foreigners,

Some
for which they obtain about twenty-pence the bushel.
principal Conger banks lie off the French coast, from which
fine nets for the

a prodigious quantity are taken to feed the poorer classes on

maigre days.

The

principal fishery for Congers in this country

Cornish coast

uncommon
five

where, according to Mr. Couch,

for a boat with three

hundred weight

during the night

to

men

from

is

by
more shy than when
The most usual bait

it is

except in deep water.

among

not

is

to bring on shore

for this fish will not readily take a bait

with the Cornish fishermen

that keep

on the

two tons, the fishing being performed

day, and even on moonlight nights

in the dark,

is
it

a Pilchard.

The Congers

rocks hide themselves in crevices, where

;

but in

situations free from rocks, Congers hide themselves

by bur-

they are not unfrequently left

rowing

in the

ground.

by the

retiring tide

306

MUR.ENIDK.

The
sale at

flesh is

not in

a low price

much

among

estimation, but meets a ready

the lower classes.

very considerable quantity was prepared

ticular

manner, and exported to Spain

When

ceived a part.

Formerly a

by drying
:

in a par-

Bayonne

also re-

thus dried, the flesh was ground or

grated to powder, and in this state was used to thicken soup.

in

Congers spawn

tinction of the sexes

December
is

the summer.

The

and the

Small ones, about the

roe during the cold months.

a man's finger, are found

or January

dis-

obvious on the examination of the

among

size

of

rocks, close to land, during

small Eels which ascend the Severn in

such numbers in the spring, and were considered by Wil-

lughby and Pennant as the young of the Conger, are

in

reality the young of fresh-water Eels.

The
of

its

adult fish

own

species.

is

most voracious, not sparing even those

the stomach of a specimen weigh-

From

ing twenty-five pounds, I took three

common Dabs, and a

The power of the

young Conger of three feet in length.

in the stomach of small spejaws in this fish is very great

cimens examined on the coast, I have found the strong tes:

taceous coverings of our shell-fish comminuted to fragments.

They

are often

tempted by the Crustacea entrapped in the

on them,

lobster-pots to enter those decoys in order to feed

and

are thus frequently captured.

Congers acquire a very large size.

Specimens weighing
and
four
one
hundred
eighty-six pounds,
pounds, and even
one hundred and thirty pounds, have been recorded, some of

them measuring more than ten

in

circumference.

and eighteen inches

They possess great strength, and often
feet long,

prove very formidable antagonists

or

when drawn

if assailed

among

rocks,

into a boat on a line.

Three measurements taken from the point of the nose,

as

in the fresh-water
species, give the following proportions in

CONGER.
reference to the whole length

the pectoral

of the dorsal

fin is as
fin, as

307

the distance to the origin of

two to thirteen
one to

five

to the

commencement

and to the vent,

as

two to

five.

The head

is
the upper jaw the longlong and depressed
both jaws furnished with strong teeth, forming a broad
band in each the lips fleshy the nostrils double ; the most

est

anterior near the edge of the lip,

and tubular

the other a

numerous mucous pores about the parts of

simple
the mouth and head the mouth deeply divided, making the
orifice

gape long

the angle forming a tangent with the posterior

edge of the pupil

dorsal fin

the eyes large

tending along four-fifths

body nearly

cylindrical

behind the pectorals, exof the whole length of the body ;

commencing but

little

commencing immediately behind the vent, and extending along three-fifths of the whole, and joining the doranal fin

sal fin,

The

forms a pointed

tail.

colour of the upper surface of the

body

is

a uniform

pale brown, becoming lighter on the lower part of the sides,

and passing into dull white underneath ; the dorsal and anal
fins whitish, edged with black ; lateral line almost white.

The
to the

notion entertained by some, that river Eels on going

sea remain there

quires a serious remark.

and become Congers,

scarcely re-

No

specific dis-

one who looks for

them when comparing either of

These differences,
our fresh-water Eels with the Conger.

tinctions can fail to observe

which extend to colour, form of body, and situation of

fins,

receive further confirmation on examining their internal structure

tion in
est

independent of comparative difference of relative posi-

some of the most important of the

number

viscera, the great-

of vertebree found in our fresh-water Eels

those of the Conger

amount

to 156.

is

116,

MUR.ENID.E.

308

APODAL
MURJEN1DJE.

MALACOPTERYGJI.

THE MUILENA.
Mur&na

Helena,
,,

LINN.EITS.

Generic Characters.

a minute
anal

fin

orifice

Bi.orn, pt. v.

Body elongated

on each

152.

side

t.

no pectoral

ii.

p.

fins

352.

branchial opening

a single row of teeth in each jaw

dorsal

and

very low, united.

MR. COUCH

is

the only British naturalist I have heard of

who has obtained an example

species on the English coast.
account, copied from his MS.

pi.

La Murene, CUVIER, Kegne An.

The Mvrane, COUCH, MS.

specimen, the

first

of this

The

beautifully

following

is

marked

Mr. Couch's

on record

as

a British

fish,

was

caught by a fisherman of Polperro, October 8th, 1834.

Its length was four feet four inches ; body very flaccid,

rounded anteriorly, compressed and tapering towards the tail

Before the eyes it is slender
the whole body seemed plump.
and sharp jaws equal gape moderately large ; teeth long,
:

incurved, sharp, separate, in one row, a row on the palate

tongue adherent, scarcely perceptible

a nasal barb on each

MUR^ENA.
side of the

309

end of the snout, another a short distance above

each eye, and a probe passed

out at the former

large

down the

mucous

inch and one quarter from the snout

grey, having a lively look

cheeks tumid

irides
;

of the

gills

its

way

light

bluish

an extensive de-

pression at the side of the thorax, in which

orifice

found

both jaws
Eye rather small, one

on each row.

at equal distances, four

latter

orifices encircle

is

the simple

the external appearance of the branchial

much

resembles that belonging to the Lamfrom

the
snout
to the branchial opening, six inches ;
prey
from the part above the eye the head is much elevated ; the
aperture very
:

skin wrinkled

thorax remarkably protuberant ; the distance

from the top of the head to the thorax five inches and threeThe vent is exactly half-way between the two
quarters.
;

ends of the body, from whence proceeds a line to the end of

the tail parallel to the anal fin, and half an inch from its
base

this line

must be the

appearance of any other.

lateral line,

The

since there

is

no

dorsal fin begins five inches

and a half from the snout, and proceeds round the extremity
of the body to join the anal, which begins at the vent ; but
these fins are thick and fleshy, and not readily distinguished

from the margin of the body.

The ground

colour of the anterior part of the

the hinder part a fine purple

fine lively yellow,

whole, including the

fins,

is

body
;

is

but the

divided into segments, forming

irregularly shaped spots, which yet have a tendency to re-

gular distribution

towards the

tail

the yellow spots more

resemble irregular rings, with larger spaces between them

the whole

is

interspersed with innumerable spots of whitish

and deep yellow, golden, brown, and purple, forming a most

under the thorax and to the gill-

beautiful arrangement

opening are a few lines marked in the skin as if to facilitate

motion, though the skin is exceedingly smooth and soft ;

310
it

is

MUILENIDf.
strong also, and the colours were remarkably slow to

fade, contrary to what

is

cimen was taken with a

after it

Of

observed in most
line,

fishes.

This spe-

and manifested great strength

was taken on board the boat.

this singular

very kindly sent

and beautifully marked

me

for

my

fish

Mr. Couch

use a coloured drawing

made

from the fresh specimen, from which the figure on the preceding page, carefully reduced in size, was drawn and engraved.

This Murcena
part

is

considered very

of the Mediterranean.

It

common

in almost every

was a great favourite with

Romans, who preserved large quantities of them

numerous vivaria, where they were fed with great

the ancient
in

their

On

care.

the celebration of one of his triumphs, Caesar dis-

tributed six thousand specimens of this Mursena

among

his

friends.

The
eating.
It

is

flesh is said to

be delicately white, and very agreeable

it is fished for with lines.

In the Mediterranean

very voracious, and

its

bite

is

very severe, which, from

the nature of the teeth, and the large size of the muscles

about the head, might be expected.

This fish is said to live with equal

facility in fresh or salt

water, though generally found at sea.

The

vignette represents a Venetian pleasure-boat.

ANGLESEY MORRIS.

311

APODAL
MALACOPTERYG1I.

MUR&NIDJE.

THE ANGLESEY MORRIS.

Leptocephalus Morrisii, Anglesey Morris, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.
pi. 28.
,j

,,

,,

,,

MONTAGU, Wern. Mem.

436,

FLEM.
,,

,,

iii.

pi.

22,

Brit.

f.

An.

p.

vol.

212,

ii.

p.

1.

p.

200, sp. 111.

t. ii.
p. 358.

Le Leptocephale, CUVIER, Regne An.

Generic Characters.'-' Head small and short

teeth numerous ; pectoral fins
and gill-opening very small ; body compressed and very thin, tape-like ; dorsal
and anal fins small, united at the tail, forming a point.
;

THIS

species was discovered in the sea near

Holyhead by
Mr. William Morris, who sent the specimen to Pennant, by
whom it was named after his friend. Pennant subsequently
sent the same specimen to Gronovius,

the generic

name of Leptocephalus,

who

described

it

under

in reference to the small

size of the head.

Any doubts which might

real

formerly have been raised as to the

existence of such a species, to which Colonel

has alluded, must have ceased to exist, as this

Montagu
has now

fish

Pennant in
been taken and recognised in various localities.
his first description, perhaps from the state of his specimen,
was not aware of all the characters

this delicate fish possesses;

but Colonel Montagu has well described and given a figure

312
of

MUR.ENID.E.
the

in

it

Wernerian Memoirs,

More than

as quoted.

twenty specimens have within a few years been taken

ferent

at dif-

of England, Wales, and Ireland.

parts of the coast

the kindness of Mr. Couch, I possess three examples that

By

were taken in Cornwall

we

of Belfast,

and from Mr. William Thompson,

learn that five or six specimens have been ob-

by him and his collecting friends.

There is also an interesting account of this

tained

fish, with a good

volume of Mr. London's Magazine of

figure, in the sixth

H. V. Deere, Esq. who

Natural History, page 330, by

states that his specimen, to all appearance dead,

him by a Devonshire fisherman, who had

pocket, wrapped in brown paper, for three
to

this

gentleman had held the

minute, examining
the

its

survived

it

hours.

in his

symptoms of

life

Its

hours.

hand

for

it

in his

After
about a

appeared, and then

animal was placed in a tumbler of

little

where

it,

fish

was brought

carried

salt

and water,

brown paper for several

described as most pleasing, from

incarceration in

its

appearance

is

semitransparent and silvery hue,

its prominent
eye, and
found
seaweed.
usually
among
carefully dissected off the whole of one side from one of

graceful motions.
I

It

is

the three specimens sent

vertebral

column and the

me by Mr. Couch, laying bare the

intestinal canal.
The bones form-

ing the vertebrae have no spinous processes whatever, either

superior or inferior

the angles of the ascending and de-

scending oblique indented

face of the skin,

vertebrae

striae, visible

mark the points of union of the

the oblique muscles between the

to the bodies of the bones forming the

all

round each vertebral bone

body of each

The

on the external sur-

is

is

striae are

column

different

attached

the margin

opaque, but the centre or

transparent.

intestine

is

a single straight canal of small calibre,

reaching from the head to the vent

after passing

from the

ANGLESEY MORRIS.
posterior part of the head,

which

tra'verses

it

it

313

descends to the abdominal line,

without convolution to the vent.

This

may be distinctly seen in the perfect fish when placed

on a slip of glass, and looked at against a good light,

canal
flat

descending portion from the head to the

abdominal line.

particularly the
level of the

The head

is

irides silvery,

small, short,

and rather blunt

the pupil dark

the eyes large ;

the lower jaw slender

both jaws, numerous and minute

teeth

gill-openings and pectoral fins very small ; the body behind the head becomes
deeper, very much compressed, as thin as tape, and when
in

rendered opaque by the effect of a mixture of

and water, which

fish

very

The

much

is

the best

mode

spirit

of wine

of preserving them, this

resembles a piece of a tape- worm.

dorsal fin

commences rather before the middle of the

whole length of the fish ; the anal fin rather behind it ; and
both extend to the tail, where they are united, and end in a
These fin-like appendages have the appearance of an
point.
extension of the skin, and are so delicate that

ways
fin

line,

easy to decide where they

exhibit a series of small black specks

general colour

al-

is

most

the obliquely

been already referred

to.

like that of opal.

had opportunities of examining specimens from

I have

the

not

the dorsal and abdominal margins, as well as the lateral

striated appearance of the sides has

The

it is

do begin, or may be called

Mediterranean which were identical with those from

Cornwall, as well as those described and figured in the

En-

M. Risso includes but one

glish works already referred to.
fishes of Southern Europe and the Environs of
his
in
species
Nice, which he has

205

named Leptocephalus Spallanzani,

torn,

but the description so exactly accords with

English specimens, that I have no doubt it is the fish I have
seen, and the same as that on our own shores.
iii.

p.

VOL.

II.

314

IMUR.EN1D.E.

APODAL
MALACOrTERYGll.

UUU&KIDJE.

THE BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM.

Ophidium imberbe, LINNJFUS.
.,

,,

Beardless Ophidium,
,,

,,

PENN.

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

MONTAGU, Wern. Mem.

pi. 4,

f.

p.

208,

vol.

i.

pi.

29.

p. 95,

2.

FI.EM. Brit. An. p. 201, sp. 112.

Generic Characters.
Head smooth ; body elongated, compressed teeth in
both jaws, the palate, and pharynx; gill-aperture rather large ; dorsal, anal,
and caudal fin united.
;

THE BEARDLESS OPHIDIUM

was

first

added

whom

talogue of British Fishes by Pennant, to

it

to the ca-

was com-

municated by the Duchess of Portland the specimen was

found near Weymouth.
Pennant gave a figure of his fish
in the Appendix to the fourth volume of the British Zoolo:

gy, edition of 1777, but no description.

Colonel Montagu

afterwards obtained a specimen on the south coast of Devon,

which

is

figured and

Wernerian Memoirs,

described in
as quoted.

the

The

first

volume of the

editor of the edition

of Pennant's British
Zoology, published in 1812, left out
the figure of the Beardless
Ophidium, given in the previous
edition, but copied the

Montagu.

figure

and description of Colonel

BEARDLESS OPHmHJM.
Never having seen a specimen of

315

this fish.

Mon-

Colonel

tagu's figure and description are here given, with some additions to be hereafter explained.

"
inch.

Length about three inches ; depth about a quarter of an

The head is very obtuse, and rounded in front eyes
:

large, placed forward and lateral

silver

ly

round the pupil

upwards

mouth, when

The body

inflated beneath.

pressed towards the

Cepola rubescens,

tail,

vol.

i.

is

and

circle

of

closed, inclines oblique-

the lips are marginated

with a

irides dark,

the gill-membranes

ensiform, considerably com-

in shape is not unlike that of

page 195, of this work; the

lateral

originating at the angle of the

line is nearly in the middle,

operculum to the gills, but rather obscure vent nearly in

the middle the pectoral fin is rounded
the dorsal fin com:

mences immediately above the base of the pectoral, and is at

first not so broad, and
usually not so erect, as the other part
the anal fin commences at the vent, and, together with the
:

dorsal,

unites with the caudal fin, which

The

obtusely pointed.

colour

is

cuneiform, but

purplish brown, disposed

is

and along the base of the anal fin are

minute speckles
about ten small bluish-white spots regularly placed, but
in

and possibly peculiar

scarcely discernible without a lens,

younger

fishes

all

the fins are like the

cept the pectoral and caudal

1

yellowish.'

'*

The

fin-rays in

D. 77

P. 11

the

first

number
A. 44

body
is

in colour, ex-

pale,

are

C. 18 or 20.

to

the last

is

316

MUR.ENID.E.

" This

Colonel

fish,"

Montagu

pear to be very tenacious of

as

it

was placed in a

tin

life,

observes,

like

" does not

ap-

some of the Blennies,

box with the Crested and Smooth

Blenny, covered with wet seaweed, and although these were

to his
lively, the Ophidium was dead before it could be got
house.
It died with its mouth shut, the pectoral fins thrown
forward, and the

body curved

a little near the vent, throwing

the head upwards."

"
as

it

Little can be said of the natural habits of this fish

so rarely occurs,

rocky parts

it is

but

most probably an inhabitant of the

in such a situation, at low-water, the

specimen

here described was taken."

But

little

known

being

either of

Montagu's or Pennant's
is taken from

Ophidium, the figure at the head of this subject

Montagu's
ing page

appears

is

to

Ophidium

figure,

and the outline

taken from Pennant's

at the foot of the preced-

first figure,

which Schneider

have adopted as the representative of the genus

in his Ichthyological work.

The Ophidium barbatum,

or

Bearded Ophidium, has

also

been included by Berkenhout in his Catalogue of British

Fishes ; but whether on the personal authority of that au-

on what part of the British coast it was observed, no

is made.
The figure below is a representation of
the Bearded Ophidium
and the three woodcuts here given

thor, or

mention

may

assist

come

to their hands.

investigators,

'-"

~"-~-.-.

should any species of Ophidium

SAND-EEL.

317

APODAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

ANGUILLID&.

THE SAND-EEL.
HORNELS, (HORNEELS

Edinburgh.

?)

Le Lancon, CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 360.

LINNAEUS. BLOCK, pt. Hi. pi. 75, fig. 2.
Anglorum verus, True Sand-Eel, JAGO. RAY, Syn. p. 165,

Ammodytes Tobianus,
,,
,,

,,

fig.
,,

Tobianus,

pi. 2,

12.

Wide-mouthed Launce, JENYNS, Man.

Brit. Vert. p. 482,

sp. 170.

Sand-Eel,

DON.

Brit. Fish. pi.

33

Head and body elongated ; gill-openings large ; dorextending nearly the whole length of the back ; anal fin of considerable
length ; dorsal and anal fins separated from the caudal fin.
Generic Characters.

sal fin

WE

are indebted, says

Baron Cuvier, to

M.

Lesauvage,

of Caen, for pointing out the true distinctions in the two

species of
nel,

Ammodytes belonging

to the shores of the

A. Tobianus and A. Lancea, the

first

of which

Chan-

is rare,

but the second very common.

Our

excellent naturalist

us, in his Synopsis,

good

and countryman Ray, has given

from Jago's Catalogue of Cornish Fishes,

Tobianus ; but it was not, I believe,

figure of the true

#18
till

ANGUILLID.E.
1

Mr. Jenyns* valuable Manual of

Vertebrate Animals, that any English zoologist had

the recent publication of

Britisli

admitted two species among British Fishes.

General Zoology,

vol. iv.

species, but with only one

Ray,

Shaw,

in his

81, plate 9, has figured both

p.

name, and but one description.*

from Jago^s Catalogue, calls his

in his short notice

the true Sand-Eel

Ammodytes Anglorum verus

no doubt that

figure leaves

his fish

is

and his

the same as the To-

bianus of Linnseus, Bloch, and others.

In the late Colonel

Montagu's copy of Berkenhout's Synopsis of the Natural

History of Great
writing,
is

which

Britain,

made between

there

" That

states,

at

a distinction

the Sand-Eel and Sand-launce,

and superior length of the head and

also said

a note in Montagu's

is

Teignmouth

much more

to be

The

rare."

by the

the one

gills in

size
it is

and greater

rarity

length of the head are both on the side of the Tobianus,

the Sand-Eel, which, as far as

much more

scarce than the

shorter head

am

my own

observation goes,

is

smaller-sized species with the

therefore desirous of preserving the dis-

tinctive appellation of

Sand-Eel to the longer

fish,

A. To-

bianus, and continuing that of Sand-launce to the smaller

species,

bearing

among

naturalists

the

name of

specific

Lancea.

M. Lesauvage gave the name of lanceolatus to the species

which had been previously called Tobianus, his trivial name
will therefore

only be used as a synonym.

Willughby's

figure,

G.

8,

f.

1,

appears to have been co-

pied from Salvianus, and represents an

small dorsal fins

Ammodytes with two

have not, therefore, referred

it

to either

of our fishes.

The Sand-Eel
the Sandlaunce

by

is

its

immediately to be distinguished from

greater size, specimens

now

* Both
specimens are also figured by Klein,

before

me

SAND-EEL.
measuring twelve inches in length
inches and a half long

it

319
Ray^s

fish

was

fifteen

further distinguished

is

by the

head, and particularly of the lower

jaw by the commencement of the dorsal fin being on a line
with the end of the pectoral fin-rays
the dorsal fin of the
greater length of the
;

Sandlaunce beginning in a line with the middle of the pectoral fin, and the head smaller and shorter, as shown in the

two representations here given.

The habits of the two species are in many respects very
similar, and will be more particularly referred to under Sandlaunce, which being exceedingly

common on

all

our sandy

shores, has afforded greater opportunities for observation.

Both
Nilsson

species

among

of

Ammodytes

are

included

by Professor

both species also

;
Dr. Neill, in his account of the fishes

the fishes of Scandinavia

occur in the Forth.

of that locality, says, the Edinburgh fishermen

ones Hornels
ference to

the

call

the large

probably an abbreviation of Horneels

elongation of the lower jaw,

in re-

and the horn-like

greater length of body

by means of which they

are

enabled to bury themselves in the wet sands of the sea-shore,

from which they are scratched out with iron hooks for bait
or sale.

'Stephen Oliver the younger, in his agreeable Rambles in

Northumberland and on the Scottish Border, when describing

the fishing in the Tyne, says, Sand-Eels follow the
fry

the

of the Coalfish into

harbour,

and

are

young

frequently

caught with the same bait as the Poodlers (young Coalfish),

which is used in a manner similar to fly-fishing for Trout.

The common

length of the Sand-Eel in the

twelve to fourteen inches

formation,

and

their jaws,

admit of great expansion.

by

Tyne

is

from

a peculiar con-

They swim

rapidly,

the voracity and swiftness of

and dash

at a shoal of fry with

a Pike.

Mr. Couch says that a

large specimen caught on

320

ANGUILLID.E.

a line

a Cornish fisherman

by

species in

From

its

had a small

fish

of

its

own

stomach.

the extreme point of the lower jaw to the posterior

end of the

gill- cover

to the whole length of the fish as

is

one to four and a half ; the depth of the body rather less
than one-third of the length of the head ; the lower jaw
very

much

elongated, with a strong,

extreme

at the

tip

indurated projection

much

the upper jaw

shorter than the

lower, with a strong forked tooth of two points descending

from the vomer

the nostrils double ; both open on each

one before the other, about half-way between the eye and the point of the nose the eyes rather
side

on a

line,

small

the posterior margin exactly half-way between

point of the under jaw and the posterior angle of the

cover

the shape of the body very nearly round

with small scales

of the

angle

its

one-third that

length

rays,

and end near the

the

tail

the rays com-

end of the pectoral

in a vertical line over the

straight

it

abdomen with

three indented

parallel

of the

fish,

same plane

The

the anal fin

and slender membrane attached by

about one-third of the whole length

is

ending short of the caudal

as the dorsal fin

fin-rays in

number

D. 55

The

lines
orifice

along the whole line of the lower part of each

side extends a narrow

one edge

fin-

the lateral line indented and

extending to the anal aperture, which has another

behind

of the

the dorsal fin placed in a groove, with

a prominent line extending along each side

mence

gill-

covered

the pectoral fin arises under the posterior

gill-cover,

length of the head

the

irides,

the

tail

fin,

and nearly on the

forked.

are

P. 15

A. 29

cheeks, gill-covers,

C. 17.

lower part

of the sides,

SAND-EEL.

321

and the abdomen, bright silvery ; upper part of the head,

back, and sides, light brown, reflecting tints of blue and
green when held in different positions.

The

vignette below represents the form of rake used to

obtain Sand-Eels and Sand-Launce on some parts

coast.

of the

AXC.UILIJD.K.

APODAL
MALACOPTERYGII.

AKUUILLIDM.

THE SAND-LAUNCE.
THK RIGGLK, SHSSC\
Ammodytot Lanceu,
,,

l.'F.ijiiille,

CUVIER, Regne An.

Small-mouthed

,,

const.

I-cuiiice,

t. ii.

JKN'VNS,

p.

Man.

360.

Unit. Vert. p.

483,

sp. 171.

Tobiamts, Sand-Launce, PKNN.

,,

,,

THE SAND-LAUNCE,
dant on

many

account of

its

]5rit.

Common Lannce, FLEM.

,,

parts of

Zool. vol.

Brit.

An.

p.

iii.

as previously stated,

tlie

p.

206,

is

shore of the British Islands.

silvery brightness,

it is

28.

very abun-

in great estimation

constant use with fishermen as bait for the hooks

and hand

pi.

201, sp. 113.

On
and

of their

and the habit peculiar to the species of

;
burying themselves in the wet sand as the tide recedes affords
The generic term Ammodytes, refers
easy means of capture.
sea

lines

power of digging in sand. With the projecting porunder jaw, aided by the muscular power of the
and its slender form, it is enabled to bury itself with

to this

tion of the
fish,

rapidity five or six inches deep in the soft sand as the ebbing
sea retires,

and

releases itself again

on the approach of the

ensuing flood-tide, apparently uninjured, though deprived of

SAND-LAUNCE.
water for several hours
respiration

another instance of a low degree of

great tenacity of life in a genus of fishes

and

having very large gill-apertures.

Low

In Orkney, Mr.
for other fish,

eaten.

On

says

it

constantly used as a bait

is

and though of good

flavour, is very

seldom

the sands at Portobello, near Edinburgh, as well

as at other localities in that vicinity, people of all ages

be seen, when the tide

is

may

out, diligently searching for the

Sand-Launce, and raking them out with iron hooks. Some

are used as bait ; but many are prepared for table, and considered delicate food.

Colonel Montagu mentions the Sand-Launce as being extremely plentiful at Slapton Sands, on the south coast of
Devonshire, where the fishermen employ a small seine with
a fine mesh, and are frequently so successful,

seven bushels are taken at one haul

to

Dieppe fishermen

that six or

these are usually sold

twenty-pence the bushel.

for

Mon-

tagu adds, that on the part of the Devonshire coast here

referred to, even the poorest people

Launce, while at Teignmouth

and was counted out

" It is
of

it

was

would not

eat the

Sand-

in great request as food,

by the score.
" that
says Mr. Couch,

for sale

naturalists
late,"
only
have learned to recognise two species, though it has been
done long since by fishermen, who have been accustomed to

observe that a small species, which keeps in larger bodies,

and seldom goes

far

from land,

than the others, and that

good

fishing.

On

its

is

more followed by Mackerel

presence

a calm evening

it is

see the surface of the water broken

by

is

an interesting sight to
the repeated plunges

of voracious fishes as they burst upon the

Launces from beneath.

a better sign of

little

schull of

Their only certain place of refuge

from these pursuers is the sand.

I have obtained the fry of the Sand-Launce four inches

324

ANGUILLID.E.

long in the month of April, and considered them to be the

young of the preceding

May, August, and December,

year.

have each been named as the month in which the adult

fish

spawn ; but the habits and economy of the two

species have been greatly confounded hitherto, under the
supposition that they were but examples of the same fish,
deposit their

differing only in size.

The Sand-Launce

has been noticed on the coasts of the

of Londonderry, Antrim, Dublin, and Cork

counties

from F. C. Lukis, Esq. that both species are

Guernsey but that Lancea is the most common.

learn also

found at

The

search

usually

The

for

them

sand prevails there, but

in the

made on moonlight

it

is

nights.

food of the Sand-Launce

marine worms and very

is

small fishes.

The
inches

usual length of this species

:

the fish

is

from

five

to seven

the length of the head compared to the length of

is less

than as one to

five

of the upper jaw

lower jaw

is

much more

the lower jaw shorter in

proportion than in the other species

the protractile portion

free to

move, and when the

pressed down, this moveable part comes forward

and downward

the posterior margin of the eye is less than

between
the point of the lower jaw and the postehalf-way
:

rior projecting angle of the gill-cover,

nose than in Tobianus

over the middle of the pectoral

The

fin-rays in

number

D. 51

being placed nearer the

the dorsal fin

commencing

in a line

fin.

are

P. 13

In other respects, as to the

A. 25

lines

C. 15.

along the body and the

colour of the various parts, the two species are very similar.

GREAT

PIPE-FISH.

LOPHOBRANCHII.

SYNGNATH1DJE

THE GREAT
Syngnathus Acus, LINN^VS.
,,

,,

Longer

BLOCH,

pt.

PIPE-FISH.
iii.

pi. 91, fig. 1,

PENN.

Pipe-fish,

Two

young

Brit. Zool. vol.

figures

iii.

2 adult.

fig.

p. 184, pi. 26.

upper, female

lower,

male.
Pipe-fish,

FLEM.

Great Pipe-fish,

Brit.

An.

p. 175, sp. 34.

JENYNS, Man.

Brit. Vert.
p. 484, sp. 172.

Generic Characters. Body elongated, slender, covered with a series of indurated plates arranged in parallel lines ; head long; both jaws produced, united,
tubular ; no ventral fins.
In the species of the first division, an elongated
pouch under the tail in the males only, closed by two folding membranes.

IN

the

belonging to this family the jaws are

species

united, forming a tube

more

or less cylindrical.

The

gills,

instead of having the pectinated appearance so well-known

to exist in the fishes previously described, are separated into

small rounded tufts, which are arranged along the branchial

arches,

and the

fishes

of this family are therefore

Lophobranchii.
*

The family

of the Pipe-fishes.

called

326

SYNGNATHID.K,

The

on the

figure

left

hand of the vignette

at the

bottom

of the page, represents one side of the pectinated gills of a

Pike

that in the centre

is

drawn from the head of a spe-

cimen of S. acus, to show the

gills in

small tufts, the oper-

culum being removed

the right hand figure exhibits the
head of the river Lampern, part of the skin on the side of
:

the neck being removed to show another form of branchial

which portions of the gills occupy different

The fish will be described hereafter, and this strucin

apparatus,
cells.

ture referred to.

These
ternally

delicate tufts

by

in the connecting

The

in the

Pipe-fishes are defended ex-

a large and hard operculum,

membrane

at its

having an aperture

upper and posterior part.

remarkable for

fishes of this limited family arc further

the extreme tenuity of their bodies, as well as for the

num-

ber and arrangement of the indurated and sculptured plates

by which their lengthened bodies are defended. They are
frequently called Needle-fish.

The

five

species of British

Syngnathi require

to be ar-

GREAT PIPE-FISH.
ranged in two divisions
species,

the

first

of which

having dorsal, pectoral, anal,

two

includes

and caudal

fins

the

species of the second division possess the dorsal

three

only

327

mode

in which the

young
two

very different in the

when

fin

The

neither of the five species possess ventral fins.

produced is very singular, but

divisions, which will be explained
are

describing the species.

The

natural history of the

Syngnathi appears not

to have

been so well understood, nor the species so clearly defined

as those of

by the older authors

many

other genera.

By

giving, in this work, figures taken from the specimens,

adding

besides,

as

vignettes,

enlarged representations

and
of

those parts which assist in determining specific distinction,

hoped, will be made out; and only

those actually obtained on the British coast, and of which

five

species,

it

is

specimens are preserved, will be included.

They

are all

marine.

Syngnathus acus, or the Great Pipe-fish, is one of the

most common species, and is found on many parts of the
coast,

sometimes at low- water among seaweed, at other times

in deep water.

It

believed that the habit of proceeding

is

to deep water at two different periods of the season has re-

ference to important

and interesting changes connected with

the production of the young.

In a MS. History of British Fishes, written by the late

John Walcott, Esq.* during his residence at Teignmouth
in the years 1784 and 85, and which has been most kindly
lent to

me by

his son,

make any use of it

ment in reference to

to

William Walcott, Esq. with

in the present work, I

liberty

found a

state-

the sexes of S. acus, which has since

been confirmed by four Continental

naturalists,

and which

* Author of various
published works on Natural History.

328

SYNGNATHID.E.

have verified by repeated examinations.

observation

is

as follows

" The male

vent to the

from the female in the belly from the

being much broader, and in having for

differs

tail

fin

about two -thirds of

its

gether, and form a

false belly (or

the

summer

Mr. Walcotfs

length two soft flaps, which fold to-

They breed

pouch).

in

the females casting their roe into the false

belly of the male.

This

have asserted from having ex-

amined many, and having constantly found, early

in

the

summer, roe in those without a false belly, but never any in

those with

and on opening them

later in the

summer, there

has been no roe in those which I have termed the female,

but only in the

false belly

of the male."

On

dissecting males and females the proof of the correctness of this new view was obvious.
The anal or sub-caudal

pouch

is

elongated

peculiar to the males only, and

lateral flaps.

On

is

closed

by two

separating these flaps, and ex-

posing the inside, the ova, large and yellow, were seen lining
the pouch in some specimens, while in others the hemispheric depressions from which the ova had been but recently

removed were very visible.

In each of these the opened
abdomen exhibited true male organs. The females examined
had no anal pouch, and the opened abdomen exposed two
In a specimen of a male of S>.

lobes of ova of large size.

acus, obtained at

which I

men

am

Dover on the 20th of July 1835, and

indebted to

W.

for

Christy, Esq. the opened abdo-

exhibited the preparatory organs of the male

displayed sub-caudal pouch showed

many

and the

eggs contained in

the young of which were fully developed, and

ready to
from
the capsules, while from others the young had
escape
it,

actually escaped.

They were

rather

more than one inch

in

length, and slightly barred with brown.

In the plate devoted to

Syngnathi,

in the last

two octavo

GREAT

PIPE-FISH.

329

editions of Pennant's British Zoology, the

upper figure re-

presents the female, and the second figure the male of S.

The enlargement on

acus.

the under surface of the second

an elongated

figure, looking like

the distended pouch of a male.

fin,

marks the situation of

Pennant's third figure

is

the S. ophidion, and the fourth the S.

lumbriciformis of
this work.

Neither S. typhle nor S. tequoreus are figured in

the British Zoology.

At what

time or in what manner the ova are transferred

from the abdomen of the female to the sub-caudal pouch of

the male is, I believe, unknown.

Mr. Walcott

breed when only four or

obtained proof of

uncommonly
butes to

it

MS.

also adds, in his

that

A?,

acus begins to

This I have also

five inches long.

and although examples of

this species

not

occur of eighteen inches long, and Bloch attri-

a length of two to three feet, I have a specimen,

four inches long only, a young fish apparently of the pre-

ceding year, in the opened abdomen of which the ova, in two

small lobes, are full grown.

M.
fish

Risso notices the great attachment of the adult Pipe-

to

their

young, and

this

pouch probably serves

as a

place of shelter to which the young ones retreat in case of

I have been assured

danger.

by fishermen

that if the

young

were shaken out of the pouch into the water over the side of
the boat, they did not

swim away, but when the parent

was held

in

and

of the tubular

fish

the water in a favourable position, the

young
would again enter the pouch.
The figures of S. acus and typhle are correctly represented
by Rondeletius, and the characteristic difference in the form
size

Below the

mouth

figure, in that work,

consideration here, several of the

VOL.

II.

in each

is

well preserved.

of the species

young

now under

are represented as
Z

SYNCiNATHlJXE.

swimming near the abdomen of the parent

of Rondeletius

Mr. Couch

is

copied in

says,

" This

Willughby, plate

I.

25,

6.

fig.

be seen slowly mov-

may

species

This figure

fish.

about in a singular manner, horizontally or perpendi-

ing

cularly, with the

head downwards or upwards, and

in every

attitude of contortion, in search of food, which chiefly seems

to be water insects."

From
mouth
also

the great similarity in

in

all

the species,

similar.

Worms,

thin-skinned

Crustacea,

it

size

of the

probable that their food

is

and the

ova

is

young and minute

small mollusca,

the substances taken;

among

form and

the

of other

fishes,

are

and these Syngnathi are sup-

be able, by dilating their throat at pleasure, to draw

their food up their cylindrical beak-like mouth, as water is

posed

to

drawn up the pipe of a

From

syrin

the point of the tubular

mouth

to the posterior

edge of the indurated portion of the operculum, the length

is, when compared to the whole length of the fish, as one
to
as

measured to the edge of the shoulder, it

one to seven and a half, and this proportion exists
eight

specimens

of various ages or lengths,

is

in

from six inches to

from the mouth to a projecting point at the anedge of the eye, and thence to the origin of the pec-

eighteen
terior

if

toral fin,

the distances are equal

the jaws united, tubular,

slightly compressed
depth but one-third that of the
head at its deepest part, which is in a vertical line with
;

the centre of the

in

operculum

the

mouth

small, placed at

the extremity of the tube, opening obliquely upwards

lower jaw the longest

minent

eyes rather large,

bony

the

orbits pro-

operculum covered with radiating striae the head

between the eyes flattened
behind the eyes, rising into a
:

keel-like
ral

fin

crest,

which reaches

to the anal

to the

neck

aperture the body

is

from the pecto-

deepest and liept-

GREAT PIPE-FISH.

SSI

angular, with three ridges along each side, and one along
the abdomen, which ends at the vent ; the surface defended

by a

series of nineteen plates

of the dorsal fin the

body
abdomen being discontinued

mences

throughout the short extent

hexangular, the ridge of the

thence to the end of the

and quadrangular, with a

tapering, slender,

four plates

is

the pectoral fins are small

at two-fifths of the

the dorsal fin com-

whole length of the

a vertical line rather before the anal aperture

rays not equal in height to the depth of the
fin

very small

The

the

fin-rays in

tail

The

fish,

and in

the longest

body

the anal

rounded and fan-shaped.

number
D. 40

tail,

of forty-

series

are

P. 12

prevailing colour

is

A. 4

C. 10.

pale brown, transversely barred

with darker brown.

The

vignette below represents

the head and

tail

of the

Great Pipe-fish from a larger specimen than that which

figured entire.

is

332

SYNGNATHID.E.

LOPHOBRANCHII.

SYNGNATH1D&.

THE DEEP-NOSED
Syngnathus Typhle,
Acns Aristotelis,

LINNJEUS.

Syngnathus Typhle,

Shorter Pipe-fish,

,,

,,

PIPE-FISH.

Typhle Antiquorum, WILLUGHBY, p. 158,

,,

,,

Lesser Pipe-fish,

I.

25,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 56.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 175, sp.
JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert

fig.

1.

35.
p.

485,

sp. 173.

THE DEEP-NOSED PIPE-FISH is immediately distinguished from the preceding species by the more compressed form
of the jaws, which are also so deep that the upper and lower
edges are nearly parallel with

under surface of the head.

fish

the lines of the upper and

From

the two large-sized Pipe-

of the next division this species

is

presence of pectoral, anal, and caudal

easily

fins.

known by the

The

figures in

Willughby and Mr. Donovan are good reprebut I believe the figure in Bloch, part iii. plate

the works of
sentations

91,
1, which has usually been considered and referred to as
Syngnathus typhle^ to be only a representation of the young
f.

of S. acus.

S. typhle has also been well figured by M. Laroche, in

Ann. de Mus. t. xiii. under the name of S. Ronddetii.

the

DEEP-NOSED PIPE-FISH.
It

is

M.

the S. viridis of

Risso,* a term that seems liable

name were wanting, inasmuch

more or less green.

to objection, even if a
ral other species are

as seve-

The Deep-nosed Pipe-fish does not differ materially in

its habits, that I am aware of, from the
species last described.
The ova are transferred from the abdomen of the female to
the sub-caudal pouch of the male, and there hatched in the

When

same manner.

fishing in ten or twelve feet water

over a soft surface covered with weeds, using the small net
described and figured in vol.

i.

page 21

have taken both

finding the deep-nosed species abundant on

sorts together,

the Dorsetshire coast.

The whole

length of the largest specimens I have seen

from the point of the closed jaws to the
;

was thirteen inches

distance

end of the indurated portion of the gill-cover, the

is, compared to the whole length of the fish, as one

to six

the head larger than in S. acus, and without the

posterior

elevated ridge on the top of

it

the distance from the point

of the upper jaw to the projecting tubercle in front of the

end of the pectoral fin, equal ; the

united jaws are very much compressed, and nearly as deep as

eye,

and thence

to the

the head, only slightly inclining to a slope before the eyes

the body hexangular

the middle lateral angle on each side

becoming the upper angles of the quadrangular tail at the

end of the dorsal fin. This fin commences farther back than
middle of the dorsal fin being very nearly the
middle of the whole length of the fish ; the series of indurated plates between the shoulder and the vent includes
in S* actts, the

eighteen,

but both

thence to the end of the

about thirty-seven

series are liable to a little variation in the

of these sculptured plates

*

tail

Figured by

M.

Poissons, plate 65,

the

abdomen

is

number

almost rounded

Guerin, in illustration of the genera of the liegne Animal,

fig. 1.

SYNGNATHIDjE.

334,

tlic

anal fin minute

rays the longest

The

fin-rays in

number
D. 39

The

the caudal

fin

pointed

the two central

the others graduated.

prevailing colour

are

P. 15

is

A. 3

C. 10.

olive green, mottled

and spotted

with yellow brown and yellowish white.

As mentioned
described,

the

in the account of the

Great Pipe-fish,
S.

is

last

well

typhle,
Deep-nosed Pipe-fish,
work of Rondeletius. The vignette below
of this species of larger size than
represents the head and tail
the block of the whole fish would admit.

figured iu the

.EQUOREAL PIPE-FISH.

335

LOPHOBRANCHII.

SYNGNATH1D&.

THE ^QUOREAL

PIPE-FISH.

Syngnathus tequoreus, LINNAEUS.

,,

,,

JEquoreal Pipe-fish,

MONTAGU, Wern. Mem.

vol.

i.

p. 85.

pi. 4, fig. 1.
,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

PENN.

Brit. Zool. vol.

,,

,,

FLEM.

Brit.

,,

,,

An.

JENYNS, Man.

iii.

p. 188.

p. 176, sp.

Brit.

38.

Vert. p. 486,

sp. 174.

Characters.
The species belonging to the second division of the genus
Syngnathus have a dorsal fin only ; no pectoral, ventral, anal, or caudal fins ;
no sub-caudal pouch in either sex.

OF

produce three species,

the largest of which, the ^Equoreal Pipe-fish, was described
at length by Colonel Montagu from two specimens obtained
this division the British shores

on the Devonshire

coast.

It

had been noticed

as long

ago

1684 by Sir Robert Sibbald, in his Scotia Illustrata,

who attributes to it a length of
part ii. book 3, page 24,
as

two

feet.

Of

this species I have not succeeded in taking any examI possess two, for one of which I am indebted to
but
ple ;
the kindness of Mr. Embleton, of the Berwickshire Natu-

336

SYNGNATHID.E.
1

Club, who obtained

ralists*

on the coast of that or the

it

By
adjoining county; and for the other to Mr. Couch.
communication from F. C. Lukis, Esq. I learn also, that
which

this species,

Guernsey.
I can add but
shall therefore

I believe to

to the description of

little

adopt

it,

be rare in England, occurs at

Montagu, and

with some slight modifications.

"

Length twenty inches and a half, viz. ten to the vent,

and ten and a half to the end of the tail ;" the length of the
head is to the whole length of the fish as one to twelve
" the snout is similar in form to that of S. acus ; its
:

length

an inch

to the eye three-quarters of

end of the

dorsal

gill-cover, including the eye,

angles on each side, give

of equal size

tains

from thence to the

one inch

the form

body is rather compressed and angular, with an acute

and abdominal ridge, which, together with three slight

of the

is

it
an octangular appearance
from the gills to the vent, which part con-

about thirty plates

of the

tail

it

is

first

it

from the vent

to the extremity

quadrangular, and towards the end,

round and taper, containing about thirty-six plates immediately behind the vent, the body of this specimen suddenly
decreases to one-third less in diameter ; but this may be a
:

sexual distinction."

" The dorsal

fin consists

of forty rays, commencing in a

vertical line considerably before the vent,

and terminating be-

hind

is

it,

aperture.

so that three-fourths of the fin

The end

of the

tail

before the ventral

extremely small and com-

is

pressed, the rays of which are not visible to the naked eye.

The

colour

is

yellowish, with transverse pale lines and dark

margins, one in each joint, and another

of each plate, giving
the

number of joints

cease at the vent.""

it
it

down

the middle

the appearance of possessing double

really has

these markings, however,

OEQUOREAL PIPE-FISH.
Mr. Couch,

it

appears, has not seen

337

more than two

or

but the Cornish fishermen say they find

this species from ten to fifteen leagues from land, and in
three specimens

fine

weather swimming at the surface over a depth of

fifty

fathoms or more.

My

specimens being both females, the sexual peculiarities

of this division of the Syngnathi will be explained

when

describing the next species.

The

vignette below represents

species on a larger scale.

the head and

tail

of this

338

SYNGNATIIIJJ.K.

LOPHOBRANCHII.

SYNGNATHID/E.

THE SNAKE
ophidian, Serpent de Mer,

PIPE-FISH.
BLOCH,

pt. iii. pi. 91, fig. 3.

SHAW, Gen. Zool. vol. v. p. 453, pi. 179.

Longer Pipe-fish, Low, Faun. Oread, p. 179, sp. 1.
Snake Pipe-fish, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 487, sp.
Snake Pipe-fish,

,,

175.

No

species of

Syngnathus can better deserve the name of

It is immediately
than the present.
fish last described, with which alone
the
from
distinguishable
it is likely to be confounded, by its much more slender as

ophidian, snake-like,

well as rounder body, which scarcely exceeds a goose-quill in

and by the whole of the dorsal

size,

fin

being, in a specimen

of fourteen inches long, more than half an inch before the

middle of the

fish.

Pennant has figured

plate 26, but not described

In

this fish,

No. 61 of

it.

this species, as well as the

two others belonging to

this

second division, neither male nor female possesses an anal

pouch, but the ova after exclusion from the abdomen of the
female are carried for a time by the male in separate hemispheric depressions on the external surface of the abdomen,
anterior to the anus.

The

The

females have no such depressions.

sexes have been determined

bv examination of the

inter-

SNAKE PIPE-FISH.
All the specimens examined having these exproved to be males, the testes in

nal structure.

ternal hemispheric cells

the

abdomen obvious

those without external depressions

proved to be all females, internally provided with two lobes

of enlarged ova.

The males

of this species

when taken by

me

as late in the season as

size

and colour of a mustard-seed lodged in each cup-shaped

These specimens were caught with a keer-drag net

cell.

August, had one ovum of the

between Brownsey Island and South Haven, at the mouth of

Poole Harbour.
Many specimens of S. acus and typhle
were obtained at the same time and place.

The

length of the head in this species

whole length of the

fish,

is,

as one to eleven

compared to the
the form of the

body slightly octangular, but more slender and rounded than

in that last described

the

body uniform

vent, then tapering gradually to the

flattened

and the

the

which has a slightly

the dorsal

fin,

mentioned, entirely anterior to the middle of the

number of rays

thirty-eight

the last fourth portion of the dorsal

The

tail,

the divisions in the series of transverse plates,

angles, of the body, almost obsolete

as before
fish

end

in size as far as the

colour of the

body

irides red, the pupils black.

is

the vent in a line with

fin.

a uniform olive green

The

the

specimens I possess vary in

length from eight inches to fourteen inches.

340

sYXGNATHID.E.

LOPHOBRANCHII.

SYNGNATHIDA.

THE WORM
Worm

Syngnalhus lumbriciformis,

PIPE-FISH.
JENYNS, Man.

Pipe-fish,

Brit. Vert. p.

488,

sp. 176.

Acits lumbriciformis,

Syngnathus

WILMIGHBY,

p. 160.

Little Pipe-fish,

oj)hidion t

PF.NN. Brit. Zool. vol.

pi. 26,

FLEM.

THE WORM-LIKE
species,

and

describes

it

is

as

PIPE-FISH

Brit.

An.

found

at

considered

p. 187,

p. 176, sp. 39.

the smallest of the British

taken on various parts of the coast.

Orkney under

finds it in similar situations

it is

is

iii.

No. 62.

stones ; and

Mr. Low
Mr. Couch

on the coast of Cornwall, where

common.

Pennant has figured this species with the ova attached to

the under and external surface of the abdomen, as in the
species last described.
are produced in the

There

is

same mode

little

doubt that the young

as in the other species be-

longing to this division of the genus, and that

the same

Pennant, not aware of the singu" On

which
takes
interchange
place, says, very naturally,
the belly of the female is a long hollow, to which adhere the
sexual peculiarities exist.

lar

eggs disposed in three rows."

This species does not exceed five inches or five inches and
a half in length, and the wood-engraving at the head of the

WORM

PIPE-FISH.

preceding page represents this fish but

natural size.

It possesses

no

little

less

than

its

except that on the back,

fin

which in the specimen I examined contained thirty rays.

The nose is very short, turned a little upwards ; the eyes pro-

minent ; from the point of the jaws to the posterior edge of

the orbit, and thence to the end of the operculum, the distances are equal

the length of these two portions together,

compared to the whole length of the fish, is as one to twelve ;

the form of the body nearly cylindrical ; the vent is situated
end of the

at the

first

third of the whole length, with a series

of nineteen plates before

it,

and

in a vertical line,

three-fourths of the dorsal fin behind

body
point

tapers gradually all the

;

the number of

more smooth than

and the colour

is

to the

with

from the vent the

tail,

which ends in a

plates forming the series between the

vent and the tail-end, about

is

way

it

in the

fifty.

The

surface of the

body

two species previously described,

dark olive green.

SYNGNATHID*:.

SYNGNATH1DM.

LOPHOBRAXCHII.

THE SHORT-NOSED HIPPOCAMPUS.

Hippocampus

brevirostris,

Rondeletii,
brevirostris,

,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 363.

WILLUGHBY, p. 157, I. 25, fig. 3.
Sea-horse, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert.

p.

489, sp. 177.

The jaws united and tubular, like those of the Syngmouth placed at the end; the body compressed, short, and deep;
whole length of the body and tail divided by longitudinal and transverse

Generic Characters.
nathi
the

the

ridges, with tubercular points at the angles

pectoral and dorsal fins

ventral or caudal fins.

of intersection

both sexes have

the females only have an anal fin

neither sex has

PENNANT,

in the edition of his British

Zoology, the
volumes of which were published in 1776 and the
fourth in 1777, states that he had been informed -the Syng-

three

first

nathus Hippocampus of Linnaeus, or what the English improperly call the Sea-horse, had been found on the southern shores of this kingdom."

MS.

and 1785,

men

John Walcott, Esq. whose

1784

History of British Fishes was written in the years

says, in reference to a

of what I believe to be the

drawing of a female speci-

Hippocampus

brevirostris of

SHORT-NOSED HIPPOCAMPUS.
" This was taken on the coast of
Hampshire, and
Mr.
Brander."
given me by the late
L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. obtained a specimen of HippocamCuvier,

pus, some years ago, in Swansea

in their Sketch

J. Paget,

mouth,

state that the

Bay

and Messrs. C. and

of the Natural History of Yar-

Hippocampus

is

also occasionally

met

with there.

But

the most valuable information I have received on this

subject has been supplied

to

whom

am

by F. C. Lukis, Esq. of Guernsey,

indebted for the loan of the male and female

specimens from which the figures at the head of the preceding page were taken.

By

M.

a comparison with

Guerin's figure of the Hippo-

campus brevirostris of Cuvier's Regne Animal, I have little

doubt that the two fishes here figured are examples of H.
brevirostris

and Mr. Lukis,

in the

autumn

of 1835, obtained

two specimens of Hippocampus on the Hampshire coast, one

of which is stated to be identical with those here figured
:

there can therefore be

no doubt, from these various authori-

ties, that at least one species

this species is

is

found on our

coast,

and that

also obtained at Guernsey and the other Chan-

nel islands.

The

circumstance of the same species occurring at Guern-

sey and on our southern

coast, gives additional value to the

At

following communication.

the time of writing, June 9,

1835, Mr. Lukis had two female specimens of Hippocampus

and active, which had been living

brevirostris, then healthy

twelve days in a glass vessel, their actions equally novel and

amusing.

"

An

appearance of search for a resting-place

induced me," says Mr. Lukis, " to consult their wishes by

placing seaweed and straws in the vessel

was obtained, and has afforded

their habits.

They now

exhibit

me much
many

the desired effect

to reflect

upon

in

of their peculiarities,

344

SYNGNATHID.E.

and few subjects of the deep have displayed, in prison, more

sport or more intelligence.'"

"
tion

When
;

but the

when

tails

When
weeds

is

in the

at its

prey with great dexterity."

and struggle to separate or attach themselves

done by the under part of their cheeks

this is

used for raising the body when a new

wanted for the tail to entwine afresh. The eyes move

or chin, which

spot

it

both approach each other, they often twist their

together,

to the

ready to grasp whatever meets

fixed, the animal intently watches the surrounding

and darts

objects,
c<

tail is

vertical posi-

quickly entwines in any direction round the weeds,

water,

and,

swimming about, they maintain a

is

also

independently of each other, as in the chamelion

this,

with

the brilliant changeable iridiscence about the head, and

its

blue bands, forcibly remind the observer of that animal."

The

vignette in illustration of the habits here described

was copied from a drawing by Mr. Lukis, most obligingly

lent

me

By

for this purpose.

the kindness of William Walcott, Esq. I learn that

a gentleman of the Island of Jersey, an attentive observer of

nature, remembers having

Hippocampus

curled

up
shown

since, a specimen was

more than a fortnight

more than once seen specimens of

in oyster-shells.

in

About

four years

Southampton, which lived

a glass globe.
This was said to have
at

been obtained on the French coast near Granville, and was

brought to Southampton by one of the sailors of a steampacket ; I have also heard of one that lived three weeks in
confinement at Harwich, the undulating motion of which

when swimming was performed with

great ease, and was very

interesting to observe.

The

species of

as far as

Hippocampus

in their sexual peculiarities,

they have been investigated, appear to coincide with

those of the SyngnatJii.

had the pleasure of looking over,

SHORT-NOSED HIPPOCAMPUS.

845

with Mr. Owen, some specimens in the collection of the

Royal College of Surgeons, which had been examined and

the internal structure partly exposed to view by the dissec-

enlarged, as
article,

The

John Hunter.

of

tions

shown

females with

have a small anal

Males have no anal

the specimens I have examined

hand

abdomen

head of

this

of four rays, but no true pouch

fin

the ova in the abdomen.

abdomen

the

in the right-hand figure at the

any of

fin, in

the pouch obvious

the

smaller than in the females, as shown in the left-

The two specimens

figure.

represented in the vignette

are both females.

Their food

is

me, but

to

is

probably very similar

by the Syngnathi.

The whole
the tail

unknown

is

to that taken

length from the point of the nose to the end of

about

five inches

the connected jaws, forming a

tubular mouth, are considerably shorter than the rest of the

head

the eyes prominent, the

straw yellow

irides

each eye a single prominent spinous tubercle

covered with

strisa,

radiating from the front

over

the operculum

the pectoral

fins,

placed immediately behind the operculum, are small, apparently containing about eight rays in each

body

heptangular, three angles on each

longitudinal angular line being

flat

the form of the

side,

the

on the abdomen

seventh
the back

the transverse segments of the body eleven, with tuber-

cular projections at the points of intersection

the dorsal

fin

about sixteen

the anal fin

female only, and probably performs some

is

the rays of

peculiar to the

office at

the time

of the transfer of the ova to the pouch of the male

anal fin contains four rays
tail

the

abdomen

from the vent the form of the

ing in a point

the

as

tail is

general colour

VOL.

II.

is

this

quadrangular, end-

number of segments about

The

deep again as the

thirty.

a pale ash brown, relieved by a

2 A

346

SYNGNATIIID.E.

changeable iridiscence, and variable tints of blue dispersed

over different parts of the head, body, and tail.
I have not included

any reference

to

Linnaeus or Bloch in

the synonymes, being doubtful that the species are identical

with the one here described.

closely resembles the

the

H.

Cuvier.

H.

Klein^s figure,

brevirostris; and

antiquus of Risso

is

also the

No. 10, very

by the

H.

description,

brevirostris of

PENNANT

GLOBE-FISH.

PLECTOGNATHJ.

347

GYMNODONTIDJK.

PENNANT'S GLOBE-FISH.
Tetrodon Pennantii,

Pennant's Globe-fish,
Stellated Globe-fish,

stellatus,

Tetraodon l&vigatus, Globe Diodon,

YARRELL.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 64.
PENN. Brit. Zool. ed. 1776,
iii.

PENN.

Tetrodon lagocephalus, Globe Tetrodon,

iii.

Tetraodon stellatus,

Stellated Globe-fish,

vol.

p. 132, pi. 20.

p.

FLEM.

Brit. Zool. ed. 1812, vol.

174,

pi.

23.

An.

p. 174, sp. 31.

Proceedings Zool. Soc. 1833,

Brit.

p. 115.

Both jaws are divided in the middle by a suture, proGeneric Characters.

ducing the appearance of four teeth in front, two above and two below. The
The branchial
skin, over part of the body, armed with numerous short spines.
orifice small.

IN

this order of fishes,

the Plectognathi of Cuvier's ar-

rangement, the principal distinctive character consists in the

maxillary bones being firmly attached to the intermaxillaries,

and both united to the palatine arch

Three examples of this singular-looking
taken in this country, and
first

described

zance.

it

as British

all

fish

have been

three in Cornwall.

from a specimen caught

Pennant
at

Pen-

Mr. Donovan has recorded a second, taken on the

348

CYMNODOXTID.K.

Cornish coast, and mentions another obtained in the Euro-

pean seas. Still more recently a specimen was taken in

Mount's Bay, a drawing of which was sent to the Zoological
Society

by Dr. Boase, and a

of

notice

occurrence ap-

its

peared in the Proceedings for October 1883, as referred

Pennant

called his fish

work published

in

1776,

lavigatus

and

lagocephalus in the edition of

and Bloch

in

to.

the edition of his

adopted that of
1812, referring to Linnaeus
his

editor

but the figure of the two specimens by Pennant

and Mr. Donovan, and the drawing of the third sent to the
Zoological Society by Dr. Boase, agree more closely with
the figure of the Globe-fish in Grew's Rarities, tab. 7, and
the Orbis lagocephalus of
Willughby, plate

I. 2,

which ap-

pear to be intended to represent the same

fish,

and being

without spots or stripes, is, I think, distinct from the lagocephalus of Linnaeus and Bloch, the spots of which are referred
to in the description of the one,

shown

and both spots and

Mr. Donovan, when

calling this fish stellatus, appears not

to have been aware that this term

had been previously approand still con-

priated to an Indian species with black spots

sidering this fish provisionally as a
it

now

stripes

in the coloured figure of the other.

the

whom, as
" The

name

far as I

new

species, I propose for

of our highly-esteemed British zoologist,

am

aware,

it

was

first

by

made known.

species of this genus are remarkable for being provided with the means of suddenly assuming a globular form

by swallowing

air,

which, passing into the crop or

first

sto-

The abmach, blows up the whole animal like a balloon.

dominal region being thus rendered the lightest, the body
turns over, the stomach
being the uppermost part, and the
fish floats

ing

itself

upon

its

during

back, without having the power of direct-

this state of forced

distension.

But

it

is

while thus bloated and

passive, at the mercy of the waves,

PENNANT'S GLOBE-FISH.
that this animal is really

most secure

numerous

for the

spines with which the surface of the body

349

is

universally beset

and erected by the stretching out of the skin, thus

presenting an armed front to the enemy on whatever side he
are raised

may

venture to begin the attack."*

Pennant's

when

the belly

when
body

fish

measured one foot seven inches

distended, one foot

two

in that state,
is

usually oblong

in length

the whole circumference

The form

feet six inches.

but when alarmed,

shape which has been already referred

small ; the irides white, tinged with red

of the

assumes the

The mouth

to.
;

it

is

the back from head

almost straight, or at least very slightly elevated ;

there are no ventral fins ; the dorsal fin is placed low on the
to tail

back

the anal fin

is

opposite

the

almost even, divided

tail

by an angular projection in the middle.

The number of fin-rays according to Mr. Donovan
D. 11

The back

is

P. 14

A. 10

of a rich blue colour

C. 6.

the belly and sides

over with straight spines arising

silvery white, studded

the centre of four rays

the fins and

tail

brown.

The

from

spines

in Pennant's representation of this fish are not so thickly set

as in the figure of

Boase

Mr. Donovan, or

in the drawing

but the space over which they are spread

all three,

that

is,

is

by Dr.
alike in

bounded superiorly by the lower jaw and

anal aperfin, and posteriorly by the

the base of the pectoral

ture.
* Dr.
Roget.

Bridgewater Treatise,

vol.

i.

p.

433.

i;V]MNODONTID.E.

350

GYMNODONT1D&.

PLECTOGNATUl.

THE SHORT
Orthagoriscus mola,

SCHNEIDER.

Rondeletii, Sun-fish,

SUN-FISH.

CUVIER, Regne An.

t. ii.

p. 369.

I. 26.
p. 151,

WILLUGHBY,

Short Tetrodon, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 172,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 25.
Sun-fish,

Tetrodon mola,

FLEM.

Orthagoriscus mola, Molebut,

Brit.

An.

JENYNS, Man.

pi.

22.

p. 175, sp. 32.

Brit. Vert. p. 490, sp. 179-

Jaws undivided, forming a cutting edge ; body comlength, short, truncated, without spines ; tail short, and
very high vertically ; rays of the dorsal and anal fins long and pointed, both
united to the caudal fin at the base.
Generic Characters.

pressed, deep for

THE

its

SUN-FISH,

as this species has

twofold circumstance of

its

been called from the

almost circular form and shining

surface, though occurring but occasionally, may be said to

have been taken from John o' Groat's to the Land's End.

SHORT SUN-FISH.
Sir
this

Andrew Balfour and

in Scotland,

species

Sir

351

Robert Sibbald have noticed

and Dr. Neill mentions three

ex-

am

in-

amples that were taken in the Frith of Forth.

debted to Edward Jesse, Esq. for a memorandum of one

caught on the coast of Northumberland in October 1834.

Dawson Turner, Esq. and Mr. Paget have known

taken at Yarmouth.
the

it

to be

have seen one that was brought to

Colonel Montagu, in his MS. notes,

London market.

mentions one that was caught at Salcombe in July 1799

this specimen was of large size, and
weighed three hundred
:

In the

pounds.

fifth

volume of Mr. London's Magazine of

Natural History, page 315, there is a record of one that was

; and Dr.
Borlase, Willughby, and Mr.

taken at Plymouth

Couch have seen and described examples

the Cornish coast.

Still farther to

that were taken on

the westward and north-

ward, the Sun-fish has been taken in the Bristol Channel,

and one was caught during last summer at Tenby. On the

Irish coast, it has been taken at Londonderry; and I am
greatly indebted to the kindness of Dr. Arthur Jacob, Pro-

Royal College of Surgeons in Dubremarks on a specimen taken in the month of

August 1826, between the south-west coast of England and
fessor of Anatomy in the
lin,

for his

Dublin Bay.

This paper was published

Philosophical Journal for

in

November 1826, and

Dublin

the

the best

is

fish that I am acquainted with.

observed in our seas, they have generally appeared
as though they were dead or dying, and floating along on

account of this

When

one

side,

view.

presenting the broad surface of the other side to

Dr.

Neill

says,

of one that was brought to him,

" The fishermen informed him,

that when they observed it,

was swimming along sideways, with its back-fin frequently
above water. It seemed to be a stupid, dull fish it made
it

little or

no attempt to escape, but allowed one of the

sailors

352
to

GYMNODONTID.E.

put his hands under

The

it,

and

lift

it

the boat.

fairly into

Sun-fish has been generally mentioned as remarkable

for its

phosphorescence

but this specimen did not exhibit

Haddock or a Herring."
phenomenon
Pennant repeats Brunnich's account, that between Antibes
and Genoa he saw one of this species lie asleep on the sur-

that

so distinctly as a

face of the water

a sailor

jumped overboard and caught

it.

Mr. Couch says the Short Sun-fish is migratory, keeping

probably at the bottom, and feeding on seaweeds in its ordinary habits

and

but in calm weather

perhaps asleep, with

lies,

above the water, floating with

known
escape

the Sun-fish

when

mounts

it

to the surface,

head and even

its

its

eyes

Mr. Couch has

the tide.

make powerful but awkward

attacked, bending and directing

efforts to

motions

its

in

various ways.

The

figure here given,

and the description, are taken from

a preserved specimen in the

ciety.

This

is

Museum

of the Zoological So-

the smallest example I have seen.

It

mea-

sures but fourteen inches from the point of the nose to the

end of the body

fin

two inches

fin

body eleven inches and a half

the depth of the

of the dorsal

the breadth of the caudal

eight inches

of the anal

fin,

seven inches

and a half: the extension of skin connecting the

rather thick.
in

The mouth

advance of the pectoral

before the anal fin

small

small and oval

fin,

fin-rays

the branchial aperture just

;

the vent just

the caudal fin occupying the whole space

between the anal and dorsal

terior vertical

the length

edge of the

fins,

body

as

and attached

by

to the pos-

a long hinge

the sur-

body in this young specimen but slightly roughThe colour of the upper
ened, and somewhat wrinkled.
face of the

part of the body. dusky bluish grey;

brown.

The

fin-rays in
D. 15

number
P. 11

the lower part olive

are

A. 15

C. 13.

SHORT SUN-FISH.

The

figure at the

tation of the fish

size

head of

this subject is

from which

and from some

353

it

an exact represen-

was taken, differing only in

differences that appear in the

descrip-

tions of specimens of greater bulk, there is reason to believe

this

fish

much

alters in

appearance as

it

increases in age.

In a

larger example the skin was of a uniform dirty pale

brown

the texture hard, rough, coarse, and thick.

Accord-

Dr. Jacob, the

irides in his specimen were dull

greybrown, with a silvery ring round the pupil.
I am indebted to Mr. Couch for the under
jaw-bone of a

ing to
ish

Sun-fish

of considerable

bone, for three inches

teeth

others,

the

outer margin of this

in

which there

is

no

edge by a narrow band of enamel

near the centre, contains various dull pearl-like

some thin and

more

Upon

The

round the front,

division, is covered to its

the inside,

size.

flat,

presenting an edge

behind them

and rather pointed.

cylindrical, short,

the external surface of the head of the example of

Sun-fish taken

at

Tenby, there were attached about

Two

of these

Strickland, Esq. of

Cracombe

twenty specimens of Tristoma coccineum.

were given to

me by H. E.

House, Gloucestershire, from one of which the representations in the vignette below of the upper and under surface
were taken of the natural
cies of these

size.

For an account of two spe-

very rare parasitic animals, see the Synopsis

Entozoorum of Rudolphi, page

85

i.YMXODOXTII).!-:.

GYMNODONT1D&.

PLECTOCXATHl.

THE OBLONG
Orthagoriscus i>blongiis,
Tetrodvn tnincatus,

SCHNEIDER.

SUN-FISH.

CUVIER, Regne An. t.

PENN. Brit. Zool.

Oblong Tetrodon,

pi.

,,

oblongus,

,,

,,

Oblong Sun-fish,

p.

370.

iii.

p. 170,

22.

Truncated Sun-fish, DON. Brit. Fish.

Orthagoriscus truncatus,

ii.

vol.

pi.

41.

An. p. 175,
JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert.
FI.EM. Brit.

sp. 33.
p. 491,

sp. 180.

IT has been the opinion of some naturalists that this oblong Sun-fish is the same species as that last described, and
that

its

greater length in proportion to

consequence of greater age.

The

its

depth

is

but the

largest Short Sun-fish of

which I have weight and measurement was that taken at

Salcombe on the coast of Devonshire. It weighed three
hundred pounds, was four feet five inches long, and six feet

from the

tip of the dorsal fin to the

end of the anal

fin.

This was seen by Colonel Montagu, who was too keen an

observer and too good a naturalist not to have detected the
difference

between the

fish

he examined and the described

OBLONG SUN-FISH.

355

characters of the true mola, if any had existed

very old, as well as very large,

being probably
likely to have

cond

and

this fish

was the more

assumed the elongated appearance of

this se-

species.

The Oblong

much more

Sim-fish seems to be

rare than

Dr. Borlase appears to be the first and

almost the only English writer who has seen and described it.
In his Natural History of Cornwall, he speaks of it under
that last figured.

the

title

of the Sun-fish from

Mount's Bay,

after

having

described and figured the Short Sun-fish, and mentions that

a specimen of this second species was taken at

Plymouth

in

1734, that weighed five hundred pounds.

Mr. Donovan, in his Natural History of British Fishes,

"

We

have seen the dried skin of this species, the

animal of which, when living, weighed between two and
says,

three hundred pounds.

Our

taken from a small

is

figure

specimen, obtained in a recent state, in one of our fishing

excursions on the Bristol Channel.

worms

This

fish

subsists

on

of the testaceous and other tribes, small crabs, &c.

fragments of these being found on dissection in the stomach."

Mr. Couch, in his MS. says, " I have never met with this
fish

but a fisherman informs

me

he once took a Sun-fish

which he was familiar, and

differing in figure from that with
His atwhich from his description I judge to be this fish.
tention was particularly attracted
tiful

waved

stripes

which

he did not observe while

it
it

by the curious and beau-

acquired after death, but which

was alive."

Never having seen a specimen of this

given is from Mr. Donovan's work, and

fish,

the figure here

the description from

that of Pennant.

" This

grows to a great bulk ; that which was examined by Salvianus was above a hundred pounds in weight.
In form

it

fish

resembles a Bream, or some deep

fish cut off in

GYMNODONTID.E.
the middle.
The mouth is very small, and contains two
broad teeth, with sharp edges."
" The
eyes are little ; before each is a small semilunar

aperture

them.

the pectoral fins very small, and placed behind

The

dorsal fin

and the anal

fills all

fin are

high, and situated

body the tail fin is narrow, and

the abrupt space between those two fins."

at the extremity of the

" The colour of the back

belly silvery

is

dusky, and

dappled

the

between the eyes and the pectoral fins are

downwards.
The skin is free from

certain streaks pointing

scales."

"

When

boiled

it

has been observed to turn into a glu-

tinous jelly, resembling boiled starch

the purposes

The

when

cold,

and served

of glue, on being tried on paper or leather.

flesh of this fish is

uncommonly rank

it

feeds on shell-

fish."

" There seems

English name.

to be

no

satisfactory reason for the

Care must be taken not to confound

the Sun-fish of the Irish,* which differs in

all

it

old

with

respects from

this."

Dr. Turton describes the body of the Oblong Sun-fish to

be nearly thrice
gills semilunar.

Donovan,

as long as

The

The

fin-rays

in

deep

the aperture of the

number, according to Mr.

are

D. 12
*

is

it

P. 14

A. 15

C. 17.

Sun-fish of the Irish coast, particularly on the west coast of Ireland,

Basking Shark, to be hereafter described, which sometimes attains a

length of thirty feet, and is so called from its habit of basking and sunning itself
is

the

at the surface of the water.

EUROPEAN FILE-FISH.

357

PLECTOGNATHL

BALISTIDA:*

THE EUROPEAN
Balistes capriscus,

CUVIER, Regne An.

FILE-FISH.
p. 372.

t. iii.

Capriscus Rondeletii, Pesce Balestra,

WILLUGHBY,

Balistes maculatus,

BLOCK,

File-fish,

Generic Characters*

bedded

plates,

p. 152, 1. 19.

pt. v. pi.

151

Body compressed, covered with hard rhomboidal im-

which are not imbricated

containing spines only, the second long

like scales

mouth with

two dorsal

fins,

the

first

incisor-like cutting teeth

in each jaw.

THE
English

only example of this genus which has occurred in the

seas, that

am

month

aware

of,

was taken off the Sussex

and the circumstance

August 1827
was made known by J. G. Children, Esq. who obtained the
specimen, and who recorded this interesting capture in his

coast in the

of

address delivered at the anniversary meeting of the Zoological

Club of the Linnean Society on the 29th of November

The specimen was

of the same year.

This

fish

tion at the British

officers

exhibited.

has since been deposited in the national collec-

Museum

and by the kindness of the

of the natural history department of that establish*

The

family of the File- fishes.

358

BALISTID.E.

have been permitted to take a drawing and description from the specimen caught in our seas.
I

ment,

The

Batistes capriscus

a species well

is

known

older authors as an inhabitant of the Mediterranean

ed by Salvianus

It

Klein, tab. 3.

in his Rarities,

by Grew,

is,

tab.

to the
is

figur-

and by

however, rather rare, though stated also

to be an inhabitant of other seas.

M.

Risso says the flesh

is

tolerably good.

Baron Cuvier,

in the

Regne Animal,

in part of the first

note at the foot of page 372, says in reference to Balistes

capriscus)

" Je

suis

meme

tente d'y rapporter le B. buniva

Possessing a dried specimen of B. buniva

de Lacepede."

from the Mediterranean, which agrees exactly with the published descriptions of that species by Lacepede and M.
Risso, I have compared

with the specimen of B. capriscus

it

Museum, and

at the British

niva of Lacepede

is,

feel

confident that the B. bu-

as Cuvier suspected, identical with the

B. capriscus of authors.

The

first

and strongest spine of the back

in

this fish is

studded up the front with numerous small projections, which

under the microscope have the appearance of so many points
of enamel or pearl arising from the surface of the bone, giv-

ing a rough denticulated appearance ; and hence the name of

The second smaller spine has at the anterior part
File-fish.
of the base a projection which,

when the

spines are elevated,

locks into a corresponding depression in the posterior part of

the base of the

first

in a gun-lock

and from

lian shores of

The

spine,

and

fixes it like part of the

this similarity this fish

the Mediterranean

is

longest spine cannot be forced

spine has been

The

first

work

on the Ita-

called Pesce balestra.

down

till

the shorter

depressed.

length from the nose to the branchial orifice

whole length of the

fish

as

one to four

is

to the

the depth of the

EUROPEAN FILE-FISH.

tail

rather less than half the whole length of the fish, the

is

body

359

included in both measurements

the surface hard

the whole breadth

the body compressed

no

line observable,
except along

lateral

the middle of the fleshy portion of the

and narrow

the scales arranged in oblique lines over

tail

the

mouth

small

the visible teeth four on each side the centre

above and below, incisor-like or cutting ; the forehead wide

between the eyes, which are small, enclosed in well-defined
orbits

the branchial orifice an elongated aperture

obliquely backward
the

pectoral fin of small size

commen-

and ascending

cing in the front at the base of the pectoral fin,

:

first

spine of

dorsal fin in a vertical line over the branchial orifice,

first

the second close behind and attached

by a strong ligament

the third spine removed to a distance, but connected by a

membrane

the second dorsal fin

commencing
the anal

is

high anteriorly and long,

in a vertical line before the

commencement of

but both ending on the same plane, and

fin,

far

short of the base of the caudal rays; in advance of the anal

fin

is

ventral fins

long

the fleshy portion of the

tail

free,

to

and rather

the rays nearly square at the end, large and strong.

The

fin-rays in

D.

The
brown

some resemblance

a strong rough keel, which has

number
3.

28

are

P. 15

A. 26

colour in the dried specimen

is

C. 14.

nearly a uniform pale

rather darker on the back ; becoming lighter on the

and
belly,
particularly on the under surface of the head
the naked gums smooth and dark brown.
Living specimens
are said to be tinged and even spotted with blue ; and it is
;

probable that an individual in this state has furnished the

material on which B. maculatus of Bloch

is

founded

the

irides are described as green.

The whole
and a half

length of the

Museum

specimen

is

nine inches

the depth four inches and three-eighths without

the dorsal or anal

fins.

860

STUKIONID.f:.

CHONDROPTERYGll.

S'LURIONWJK.'

THE COMMON STURGEON.

Acipenser Sturio,

Common

Sturgeon, LINN^US.

BI.OCII, pt.

iii.

pi. 88.

The Sturgeon,

WII.LUGHBY, p. 239, P. 7, fig. 3.

Acipenser Stnrw, Common Sturgeon, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 164, pi. 22.
( 'r\
,,
IER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 379.
,,
UEsturgeon,
Sturio,

,,

,,

,,

, ,

,,

Common

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 65.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 173, sp. 30.
Common Sturgeon, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 493,
Sturgeon,

Sturgeon,

sp. 182.

Body elongated and angular, defended by indurated

and spines, arranged in longitudinal rows ; snout pointed, conical ;
mouth placed on the under surface of the head, tubular, and without teeth.
Generic Characters.

plates

ALL

the remaining portion of the British Fishes to be yet

described belong to Clavier's division called Chondropterygiens,

the skeletons of which are

or Cartilaginous Fishes,

made up

of cartilage, and not, as in the divisions of Acan-

thopterygiens and Malacopterygiens,

The

made up

of true bone.

earthy matter in the hard parts of these fishes

in quantity,

is

is

smaller

and does not assume the

deposited in grains,

form, as in other fishes, of distinct osseous fibres.

In the
are

fishes of the families

contained in this order, there

several interesting peculiarities.

free, like

those of ordinary fishes

the gills are fixed

by having
*

Some have

their gills

there are others in which

their outer edges attached to the

The family

of the Sturgeons.

COMMON
Several of

skin.

manner very

361

STU11GEON.

them bring

forth their

young

alive

in

from any of the true bony fishes

while some, and these the last in the series, want that degree
different

of organization in the bones of the upper jaw observable in

those generally which have been hitherto described, but of

which two or three examples of deficiency by malformation

have been figured.

may be

This order

including within

its

said

to be

further distinguished

by

limits fishes exhibiting in certain points

of their structure the highest as well as the lowest degrees of

These

organization observable throughout the whole class.

different peculiarities will

be pointed out on arriving at the

different genera in succession.

The

Sturgeon, the

first

of the cartilaginous fishes, allied

form of

to the Sharks in the elongated

its

body, resembles

other fishes in having the gills free, and in being oviparous.

caught occasionally on various parts of our coast, most

frequently in the estuaries, or but a short distance up rivers ;
It

is

very seldom

taken

in

to inhabit deep water,

that I

am

the open sea, where

it

is

believed

beyond the reach of nets, and

is

not,

upon the fishermen's lines.

aware, ever caught

Dr. Neill says that one or two are generally taken every
summer about the mouth of the Almond or of the Esk,

where they get entangled in the Salmon nets, and when of

fishermen considerable
large size frequently doing the

by

tearing their nets.

They

damage

are otherwise harmless.

One

caught in a stake net near Findhorn in Scotland in July

1833, measured eight feet six inches

two hundred and three pounds.

The Sturgeon

is

tion

When
of the

VOL. n.

and weighed

occasionally taken on the East coast, and

frequently brought to the

lities.

in length,

caught

London market from

in the

Lord Mayor,

it

various loca-

Thames, within the

is

jurisdic-

considered a Royal Fish

2 B

STUIUON1D/E.
the term being intended to imply that
to the

King, and

it is

said that the Sturgeon was exclusively

reserved for the table of

On

ought to be sent

it

the First of England.

Henry

Montagu mentions one

and Mr. Couch enuKingsbridge

our Southern coast, Colonel

taken in the estuary at

merates three instances at different periods of different years;

one

Tamar

in the

June, one

in

and one near the Eddystone

at

in

in

Plymouth

August,

In September

January.

and weighing one hundred

and ninety-two pounds, was caught in a weir below the castle
1802, a specimen, eight

at
is

Shrewsbury.

The

feet long,

specimen taken in this country

by Pennant, which was caught

largest

probably the fish recorded

in the

Esk, and weighed four hundred and sixty pounds.

In Ireland the Sturifcon has been taken on the south, the

east,

and the north

coasts.

In the northern parts of Europe this fish

numerous than with

ed for
female

its
;

and extensive
Caviar

isinglass

is

fisheries are establish-

made

of the roe of the

membrane form-

obtained from the dense

is

ing the air-bladder

salting

us,

destruction.

and the

and pickling,

is

much more

is

flesh, besides being preserved

being generally stewed with

rich

by

table while fresh,

in request for the

and the flavour

gravy,

considered to be like that of veal.

The

most of the cartilaginous

more firm and compact

than

is

The

usual

among

fishes,

is

those of the osseous families.

Sturgeon, as has been before observed,

spawning

like that of

flesh,

in winter.

is

oviparous,

been frequently remarked that

are seldom seen
by the kindness

It has

Sturgeons of very small

size

of Mr. George Daniell, however, I possess a small specimen,

only twelve inches long, that

all

the characters of the mature

is

quite perfect, and exhibits

fish.

"

It

is

presumed that

the young, as soon as they

escape from the eggs, which the
female deposits in fresh water, descend immediately to the
sea,

and do not

visit

the places of their birth again

till

they

COMMON STURGEON.
come
is

in their turn to deposit their

said to subsist on small fishes

mouth

it

368

The Sturgeon

spawn."

from the structure of the

probably feeds also on any soft substance that

it

finds at the bottom.

The body

is

elongated

somewhat pentagonal

from the

shoulders

backward

in shape, with five longitudinal rows

of flattened plates, with pointed central spines directed backwards,

one row, larger than the others, along the ridge of

the back, one row on each side, and another along the edge

of the
tral

abdomen

diating

striae.

from the pectoral

in a line

on each side

fin to

the ven-

the flattened plates are marked with ra-

The

nose

long and pointed

is

with a longitudinal depression

the forehead

the crown of the head ele-

vated, the occiput rising into a sharp keel

the

mouth placed

on the under surface of the head, rather wider than long,

with a projecting rim ; no teeth within
about half-way
:

between the mouth and the end of the nose, are four
ranged in a line across

the

hard and strong, covered with

eyes small
strise

line of the anal fin

est,

and pointed.
D. 35

The

tail

The
:

body

V. 24

little

number
A. 23

C. 125.

are various shades of

brown

plates nearly white, the belly silvery.

The

in advance of the

upper lobe much the long-

fin-rays in

P. 28

colours of the

forked

cirri

the operculum

radiating from a centre

but

dorsal fin placed very far back,

vignette represents the under surface, of the head.

the

864

HI.M ElllD.E.

CHONDROPTERYG1L

NORTHERN CHIMERA.
OF TIIK IlKRKI\(.s.

Kl\<;

Chiaucra monttrota,

,,

LINN*;US.

BLOCH,

,,

Northei-n Chinuera,

,,

Sea Monster,
Rabbit-Jish,

Generic Characters.

ment

the

first

dorsal

fish

HIUT-KISH,

pi. iv. pi. 124.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p.

DON. Brit. Fish.pl. 111.
FLEM. Brit. An. p. 172, sp.

159.

29.

elongated, the tail ending in a lengthened filashort at its base, but high ; the second dorsal fin low,

Body
fin

commencing immediately behind

THIS

K A

the

first,

and extending

to the tail.

has considerable resemblance to the Sharks in

the form of the body, and the position as well as the shape

of the

fins.

" The
Chimserse,"

says Dr. Richardson,*

"

though placed

by Cuvier at the end of the Stvrtonid*, seem to belong

more properly to his second order of Chondropterygit, in
which the

gills are

fixed

for

though there

is

only one appa-

rent gill-opening on each side, the gills in

reality adhere

by

a large part of their borders, and there are

consequently five
* Fauna
Boreali-Americaua, part

iii.

Fishes, page 285.

NORTHERN

365

CHIM.ERA.

holes communicating with the external gill-opening.

They

have a rudimentary operculum concealed by the skin

their jaws,

still

and

more reduced than those of the Sharks, are

furnished with hard plates, four above and two below, in

The males

place of teeth.

appendages to

the ventral

thery eggs, having

flat

are distinguished

fins,

by trifid bony
and produce very large lea-

velvety edges."

The Northern Chimsera

is

represented as a fish of singular

appearance and beauty, a native of the northern seas only,

where it seldom exceeds three feet in length, and is generally
taken when in pursuit of shoals of Herrings, or other small
roving fishes, upon which
it

feeds also

it

principally subsists

The

on medusse and Crustacea.

scribed as hard and coarse.

Norwegians extract an

oil

Bloch says

flesh

is

de-

According to some authors, the

from the liver which they consider

of singular efficacy in disorders of the eyes.

Pennant received from a gentleman a drawing and particulars of one that had been taken
among the Shetland Islands
:

this species

was also known to Dr. Walker as an occasional

visitor in that
locality.

Never having seen

this fish, I avail

myself of Dr. Fleming's description, taken from a specimen

sent

by L. Edmonston, Esq. from Unst, where

the Rabbit-fish.

it

is

termed

specimen taken from the same locality

has lately been received by Mr.

W.

C. Hewitson of

New-

castle, the author of a valuable work on the eggs of British

Birds.

"

Length nearly three

blunt

feet.

Body

the snout sub-ascending, blunt.

compressed.

Head

A narrow crenulated

grinder on each side in the lower jaw, and a broad tubercular

one corresponding above.

upper
valve.
large,

lip

Nostrils immediately above the

contiguous, each with a cartilaginous complicated

Branchial openings in front of the pectorals.

lateral.

On

the

Eyes

crown, in front of the eyes, a thin

HIM

<

KlilD.E.

osseous plate, bent forwards, with a spinous disc at the ex-

tremity on the lower side.

Lateral line connected with nu-

merous waved anastomosing grooves on the cheeks and face.

The first dorsal fin above the pectorals narrow, with a strong
spine along the anterior edge.

mediately behind the

caudal one, where
large,

it

first, is

The

second dorsal

narrow, and

and subtriangular.

The

Ventrals rounded

im-

continued to the

is

terminates suddenly.

rises

pectorals are

in front of each

a broad recurved osseous plate, with recurved spines on the

ventral
linear

edge.

Claspers

segments

ing the opposite edges covered with

spines.

cond

divided into

pedunculated,

three

the anteal one simple, the retral ones hav-

numerous small

reflected

small anal fin opposite the extremity of the se-

Caudal

dorsal.

fin

above and below, broadest near the

11

origin, gradually decreasing to a linear

produced thread.
The representation here given was taken from the figure in
Mr. Donovan's work ; and being that of a female fish, does
not show the claspers described by Dr. Fleming as existing
in his specimen,

peculiarities will
cies

of Sharks

which was a male.

These sexual and other

be pointed out when describing other spe-

which being of much more frequent occur-

rence, have afforded opportunities for

more detailed observa-

tions.

The appendage

on the front of the head in this

culiar to the males only,

King-fish, applied to

Gold and

Silver Fish,

it

and has given

by the Norwegians

The

fish

was

first

who

pe-

name of

also call

it

brown on a shining white

eyes are large and brilliant

the pupils green,

the irides white.

This

fish is

the

in reference to its beautiful colours:

these are various shades of rich

ground.

rise to

made known by Gesner.

SMALL-SPOTTED DOG-FISH.

367

CHONDROPTEEYGJL

SQUALID*:.*

THE SMALL-SPOTTED
Scotland.

MORGAY,
Scyllium canicula,

DOG-FISH.

ROBIN HUSS, Sussex

La Grande Roussette, CUVIER, Regne An.

FLEM.

,,

catulus,

,,

canicula, Spotted Dog-Jish,

Morgay,

Brit.

An.

JENYNS, Man.

coast.

t. ii.

p. 386.

p. 165, sp. 8.

Vert.

Brit.

495,

p.

sp. 184.

LINNJEUS.

Squalus canicula,

BLOCH,

Spotted Shark,

,,

,,

,,

catulus,

Lesser Spotted Shark,

,,

LeSquale Roussette,

PENN.

Head

114.
Brit.

Zool.

vol.

iii.

j
$

19.

pi.

Upper fig. male; lower fig. female.

DON.

,,

,,
,,

pt. iv.pl.

Brit. Fish. pi. 55.

BLAINVILIE, Faun. Fran.

p. 69.

and blunt; nostrils pierced near the mouth,

edge of the upper lip, forming valves ; teeth
on each side
triangular, pointed, with a small lateral tubercle at the base
branchial apertures partly over the pectoral fins two dorsal fins the first, about
Generic Characters

and continued by a

short

fissure to the

the middle of the whole length, placed, in a vertical line, behind the ventral
fins ; the second, behind the anal fin.

THE

true Sharks,

fixed, their
five

margins being attached

have their

gills

the water escaping

by

elongated branchial apertures, the form and position of

which,
fins

as previously stated,

in

conjunction with modifications

and other

parts,

observed in the

furnish characters by which the different

divisions forming this family are distinguished.

*

The

family of the Sharks.

Among

the

SQUALID.R.
Sharks, the males differ from the females externally in having

an elongated cylindrical appendage at the inner edge of each

The third
ventral fin, the uses of which are not understood.
species of

Scy Ilium here

and

figured represents a male fish,

The

shows the peculiarity of the ventral fins in that sex.

females are not furnished with these appendages

the figures

two species represent females, and the vignettes

to each show on an enlarged scale the specific and sexual

of the

first

peculiarities of the

the form of the

Of

ventral

mouth

fins,

in these

and

two

also the difference in

species.

the true Sharks, some produce their young alive, and

are called viviparous

others, like those

sideration, bring forth their

an example of which

is

under present consi-

young enclosed

in

horny

cases,

here introduced, a portion of one side

of the case being removed to show the young fish within.

On

examining adult females, the ova are observed

in differ-

ent stages of growth descending from the ovaries, usually in

one

in each oviduct,

becoming enclosed in
the protecting covering when about to be excluded.
These
cases, which are frequently found on the sea-shore, and are
pairs, frequently

called

Mermaid's purses,

sailor's purses,

sea purses,

&c. are

oblong, of a pale yellowish horny colour, semitransparent,

with an elongated tendril at each of the four corners

are deposited

by the parent Shark near the shore

these

in the win-

SMALL-SPOTTED DOG-FISH.
months.

The

convoluted tendrils hanging to sea-weed

or other fixed bodies prevent the cases being washed
away
ter

Two

into deep water.

elongated fissures, one at each end,

allow the admission of sea-water

and the young

fish ulti-

mately escapes by an opening at the end, near which the

head

is

situated.

For a

short time the

young Shark

conti-

nues to be nourished by the vitelline fluid contained in the

capsule attached to

its

body by the connecting

pedicle,

till,

having acquired the power of taking food by the mouth, the

remains of the
birds and

ovum

are taken

up within the abdomen,

as in

some other animals.

curious peculiarity has been observed in the

young of

both Sharks and Skate during a very early stage of their existence.

From

each of the branchial apertures, branchial

fila-

ments project externally

each filament contains a single
minute reflected vessel, in which the blood is thus submitted
:

the action of the surrounding medium.

to

dages are only temporary,

wards aerated by the true

very, which I believe

is

These appen-

and the blood of the

gills.

fish is after-

This very interesting disco-

of recent date, forcibly reminding us

of the temporary external branchise in the young of Batrachian reptiles in the tadpole state, has been observed by

Owen

Mr.

Blue Shark, Carcharius glaucus, by

Dr. John Davy in the Torpedo, and by Dr. Allen Thompson of Edinburgh in the Thornback.
Cuvier had previously
Richard

in the

and in the Regne Animal has referred to a figure

published by Schneider of a very young Shark in this condition, for which, regarding it as the normal state of this fish,
noticed

it,

that industrious pupil of

Squalus

Bloch had proposed the name of

ciliaris.

Among

the Sharks, as

among

the truly predacious birds,

the females are larger than the males

cies

and almost

all

the spe-

have received some name resembling Beagle, Hound,

370

SQUALID.E.

Rough Hound, Smooth Hound,

Penny Dog, &c. probably from
prey or hunting

in

company

Dog-fish, Spotted

Dog,

their habit of following their

or packs.

All the Sharks are

Their skins, of very variable

degrees of roughness, according to the species, are used for

exceedingly tenacious of

different purposes

in

life.

some instances by cabinet-makers,

for

bringing up and smoothing the surfaces of hard wood.

The two British species of Spotted Sharks appear to have
been frequently confounded with each other.
The terms

Greater and Lesser seem sometimes to have been considered

as referring to the size of the
spots,

of the

fish.

and

at others to the size

slight alteration in the names,

which

is

here

suggested, will assist in defining the two species, and other

decided specific distinctions will be pointed out.

cies are called

brown

prevailing reddish

The

colour.

one of the most

common

species on our shores,

particularly along the Southern coast.

water

is

near the bottom

It takes a bait freely,

lines,

spe-

Small-spotted Dog-fish, the subject of the present

is

notice,

Both

Rousm-ttc by the French, on account of their

but

is

and

its
is

food, small fish

its

the

and Crustacea.

often caught on the fishermen's

a useless capture to them.

and annoying from

from its voracity.

Its station in

It

is

troublesome

numbers, and injurious to the

fisheries

The

teeth of the Sharks are very formidable weapons, geconstructed

nerally
decidedly either for cutting or holding.

The

representation here introduced shows on the left hand

SMALL-SPOTTED DOG-FISH.
two teeth formed

371

for cutting; these are flattened, thin,

sharp,

and serrated on both edges

the left of the centre

the teeth represented belong to

when viewed

The two

in front.

teeth

on the right hand are formed for holding, being generally

curved inwards, and provided with a small lateral tubercle at
the base on each side.
to the genus Scyllium,

The

teeth of the Sharks belonging

now under

consideration, are of this

last

form, but smaller, depending on the size of the

The

outside tooth in the front row of each jaw in the Sharks

is

fish.

supported on the inside by various other teeth, which sup-

ply deficiencies as necessity

may require.
The specimen from which the description was

sured eighteen inches in length

the pectoral

fins,

the end of the

eyes large

nostrils,

tail.

it is

thickest, tapering all the

The head

way

flattened on the top

is

to

the

the orbits elongated, with a distinct aperture

behind each

where

taken mea-

the body, from the base of

the form of the under surface of the nose, the

and upper

lip,

the vignette at the end

shown

as
;

the

in the left-hand figure of

mouth

in the

form of a horse-

shoe, the extreme angles only being directed outwards

the

teeth numerous, small, pointed, and sharp, like those on the

right

hand

minute

but very
the branchial apertures on

in the representations of Shark's teeth,

the pectoral fins large

the sides of the neck elongated vertically, five in number, the

first

rather the largest, the last the smallest

the fourth aper-

ture over the anterior edge of the pectoral fin

fins
less

the ventral

united almost to the posterior extremity in the males,

completely united in females

ture in the middle between

them

the elongated anal aper-

the outer posterior mar-

gins, in both sexes, are as oblique as those of the front

the

right-hand figure of the vignette at the end shows the lozenge-

shape of the
is

fins

when seen from below.

The

over the space between the ventral and anal

first

dorsal fin

fins,

and occu-

372

SQUALID.E.

pies nearly the middle of the whole length of the fish

anal fin
fins

under the space between the

is

the

and second dorsal

first

the posterior edge of the second dorsal fin half-way

between the commencement of the

end of the

tail

dorsal fin

first

the vertebral portion of the

line with the body, with a

tail

and the

nearly in a

narrow elongated membranous ex-

pansion above it, and one long and one short triangular exAll the upper part of the body marked
pansion below it.
with numerous small, dark, reddish brown spots, on a pale
the spots on the fins rather larger and less
reddish ground
numerous than those on the body the lower part of the
The skin, to
sides and the under surface yellowish white.
;

the finger passed from the head towards the

in the opposite direction

skin under a lens

,

all

is

it is

rough.

The

tail,

is

smooth

appearance of the

that of being covered with minute spi-

the points of which are directed backwards.

LARGE-SPOTTED DOG-FISH.

373

CHONDROPTERYGIl.

SQUALIDM.

THE LARGE-SPOTTED
ROCK DOG-FISH.
Scy Ilium catulus,
,,

stellaris,

,,

stellare,
stellaris,

Squalus catulus

La

DOG-FISH.

BOUNCE, Scotland.

Petite Roussette,

CUVIER, Regne An.

Le Rockier,

t. ii.

p. 386.

,,

,,

,,

Brit.

canicula,

Le Squale Panthere, BLAINVILLE, Faun. Fran.

,,

stellaris,

,,

THIS Shark
by

is

its

greater bulk of

,,

at

Rochier,

,,

,,

p. 71.
,,

once distinguished from the species

larger but
its

sp. 185.

LINNAEUS.

et stellaris,

,,

described

,,

An. p. 165, sp. 7.

JENYNS, Man. Brit.Vert. p. 496,
FLEM.

Bounce,
Rock Dog-fish,

body

less

for the

numerous

spots,

by

last

the

same length, and by the

ventral fins, which are truncated or nearly square at the end.

Like the Small-spotted Dog-fish, its haunts are near the

but it also frequents rocky
bottom, and its food similar
;

ground, and has accordingly been distinguished on the Continent by the term Rochier, as shown in the list of syno-

nymes.
Mr. Jenyns, in his valuable Manual of British Vertebrate
Animals, has so clearly pointed out the specific distinctions
of this fish, from examples obtained at Weymouth, that,
having no specimen, this Shark being by much the more rare

874
of the two, I avail myself, by permission, of the
comparative
description therein given.

"

Length from two

three

to

this species attains

Blainville,

According to

feet.

M.

to a larger size than the last.

Differs essentially from S. canicula in the structure of the

lobes of the nostrils, and in the form of the ventrals:* the

former are not united as in that species, and of a smaller

size,

ble

leaving the whole of the

mouth and the upper

the ventrals, instead of being cut obliquely,

lip visi-

are cut

nearly square, their posterior margins meeting at a very obtuse angle

in

a similar

they are united or separate according to the sex,

manner
the snout is rather more elongated ;
:

some authors, the

the dorsal a more backward position
and, according to

have not noticed myself.

very

little

tail
;

rather shorter, giving

but

this last character I

Upper parts brownish grey, with

of the red tinge observable in the last species

back, flanks,

and

tail,

sparingly marked with large spots of a

deep brown or black colour

under parts whitish."

See the vignettes of the nostrils and the ventral

fins

of both species.

BLACK-MOUTHED DOG-FISH.

375

CHONDROPTERYG1L

SQUAL1DM.

THE BLACK-MOUTHED
EYED DOG-FISH,

Cornwall.

Fauna Italica of PRINCE MUSIGNANO.

COUCH'S MS.
Eyed Dog-Jish,
Le Squale Melastome, BLAINVILLE, Faun Franf.

Scyllium melanostomum,

Squalus melastomus,

THE

DOG-FISH.

following account of this species,

catalogue,

is

from the

MS.

new

of Mr. Couch,

" The
specimen from which

my

to the British

who

the only English naturalist into whose hands

it

p. 75.

is

probably

has fallen.

description

been

has

taken was caught on a line by a fisherman of Polperro on the

Its length was twenty-five inches
February 1834.
and
seven inches round where stoutest.
and three-quarters,

8th

The head

on the top, rather wide posteriorly ; snout

and three-quarters from the ante-

flat

thin, protruded one inch

rior angle of the

eye

nostrils

the snout, double, one beneath

one inch and a quarter from

linear, the other

on the mar-

gin, the hinder edge prominent, a depression in the head im-

mediately above

it

eye rather large, oval, close behind

moderately sized temporal orifice

quarters wide

mouth one inch and

it

three-

teeth numerous, small, sharp, at each side of

the base of each tooth a small sharp process

spiracles five,

376
open

SQUALID.!-:.

the back somewhat elevated close behind the head

the skin rough against the grain

like

those of the Picked

Dog

pectoral fins

the

first

wide,

dorsal

begins at

twelve inches from the snout, and behind the ventral

the second at sixteen inches and a half,
ventrals ten inches from the snout

much

fins

both rather small

anal fin four inches long,

rather narrow, terminating just opposite the end of the second

dorsal

extreme length of the

tail

tion,

rounded, incised, or jagged

in its course,

seven inches

down towards

lobe in a line with the body, bent

the upper

the termina-

under lobe rather narrow

the upper ridge of the suexpanded beneath

row of prickles pointing outward and
;

perior lobe has a double

downward on each

side

suddenly bent opposite

Colour, a light brown on the

lateral

the origin of the caudal

fin.

line

head and along the back on each side two rows of ocellated
spots ; one row beginning at the side of the neck, and conthe second row commentinued along the side of the back
:

cing behind the eye and passing along the upper side of the
belly, becoming obsolete near the ventral fins ; these rows are

by numerous irregular spots, which, however, asthe fins and hinder

sume somewhat of a straight direction
separated

part of the back are finely barred

tints of

brown and yellow

the

and clouded with various

mouth dark-coloured

within.

This species is well known in the Mediterranean.

Mr.
Couch's specimen was that of a male, and the figure is taken
from a drawing lent

for that purpose.

WHITE SHARK.

377

CHONDROPTERYGII.

SQUALIDM.

THE WHITE SHARK.

Carcharias vulgaris, Le Requin,
,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii.

White Shark, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 167,
WILLUGHBY, p. 47, B. 7.
White Shark, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii.

,,

Canis Carcharias,

Sqnalus

,,

,,

,,

,,

JENYNS, Man.

Jaws and head depressed

Generic Characters.

and

p. 139.

Brit. Vert. p. 497, sp. 186.

cutting, often serrated at the edges

placed behind the pectorals and before the ventrals

THIS

387.

sp. 12.

Le Squale Requin, BLAINVILLE, Faun. Fran.

,,

teeth pointed

,,

p.

species has been noticed

by

p. 89.

nostrils pierced in front

;

first

dorsal fin large

and

pectoral fins large.

several English authors,

but apparently not from specimens which had been examined

by them

given him,
lands.
states

Low says

personally.
it is

Grew,

sometimes met with among the Orkney

that they are

and

As
to

it

appears to be well

This

may prove

known

in the

Me-

be a great wanderer, the Cornish coast

a very probable locality, and

vignette,

Is-

Gresham College, page 90,

sometimes found upon our own coast

in his Rarities of

near Cornwall.
diterranean,

that, according to information

it,

to be the Rashleigh Shark of

fish acquires a large size,

is

or the fish figured in the

Mr. Couch.

and with another

species,

not very dissimilar in shape and equally powerful, are the

terror of mariners in

VOL.

ii.

most of the warm countries of the globe.

2 c

QUA 1,1

1)

K.

swims with great ease and swiftness from the large

and when caught with a baited hook
pectoral fins

It
its

and drawn upon deck, the

tail to
its

size of

at sea,

sailors

first

act

is

chop off

to

its

prevent the mischief otherwise to be apprehended from

great strength.

Cuvier, in the

Regne Animal, says the only good figure of

Belon, page 60 and having no access to a

this fish is that in

specimen, that figure has been carefully copied, and the

lowing description

is

from

M.

fol-

Risso.

The body is elongated, covered with, a hard skin, ash

brown above and whitish below. The head is large ; the
muzzle depressed, short, and pierced with numerous pores
the mouth is large and wide ; the tongue short and rough
the upper jaw furnished with six rows of triangular teeth,
:

thin, nearly straight at the edges,

four rows, sharper

jaw

pressed
the

first

than

and serrated

those

the irides arc pearl white

dorsal fin elevated

above,

in the

but

pectoral fins

under

less

com-

very large

the ventral fins small

the anal

opposed to the second dorsal the tail is divided, forming two lobes, of which the upper lobe is the longest.
It is most
frequently seen in the Mediterranean during

fin is

spring and autumn.

The

vignette represents another species, which has also

been called White Shark, and may

coast.

assist

observers on

the

FOX SHARK.

379

CHONDROPTERYGII.

SQUALID&.

THE FOX SHARK.

THRESHER.

SEA-FOX.

La Faux, ou Renard^ CUVIEK, Regne An. t. ii. p.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 167, sp.
Thresher,

Carcharias vulpes,
,,

SEA-APE.

,,

Vulpes marina,

WILLUGHBY,

Squalus vulpes,

Long-tailed Shark,

p. 54,

B.

388.
14.

6, fig. 2.

PENN.

Brit. Zool. vol.

p. 145,

iii.

pi. 17.
,,

Le Squale Renard,

,,

THIS

species

is

occasionally

BLAINV. Faun. Fran9-

met with on the

Pennant examined one that measured

p. 94.

British coast:

thirteen feet in length

and specimens have been seen of fifteen feet long.

called the Sea-Fox from the length and size of its tail

name

according to Dr. Borlase, has received the

from

its

It
;

It

tail.*

nean, as well as other seas

is

and,

of Thresher

habit of attacking other animals, or defending

by blows of the

is

itself,

an inhabitant of the Mediterra-

and a specimen has been taken

near Belfast.

The extreme
Couch,

" was

length

the curve eleven feet eight inches

round where thickest

by Mr.
and along

of a specimen examined

in a straight line ten feet ten inches,

;

three feet four inches

solid at the chest

* See vol.

i.

conical from the

page 144.

2 C 2

380

s(ii:.\UU..

snout to

tlie

pectoral fins,

organ from the root was

and thick even

five feet

quently more than half the length of the body

four

round, hard,

nent,

pupil green

the nostrils small, and not lobed

two or three rows, not numerous

teeth

eye promi-

inches from the snout

inches wide, shaped like an horse-shoe

in

which

to the tail,

and a half long, and conse-

iris

flat,

five

triangular,

spiracles five

blue,

mouth

pectoral

wide at the base, pointed, eighteen inches and a half

Measured along the curve, from the snout to the first
long.

fins

dorsal fin, was two feet five inches, the fin triangular

the

dorsal to the second, fourteen inches

first

and the anal

lar

small

skin smooth

from
this

ventral fins also rather small, triangu-

above and below

sion

fin

and a half;

at

tho base of the

lateral line central

tail a deep depresand straight breadth

;

tail, including both lobes, thirteen inches ; the upper

lobe narrow throughout its great length, and on the lower

of the

margin, at four inches from the extremity,

process.

Colour of the body and

fins

a triangular

is

dark blue, mottled

with white over the belly.'"

Mr. Couch says

it

is

not

uncommon

for

a Thresher to

approach an herd of Dolphins (Delphini) that may be sporting in unsuspicious security, and by one splash of its tail on
the water put

them

all

to flight like so

many

hares before a

hound.

" The
specimen here described w as taken at the entrance
of the harbour of Looe in Cornwall, in October 1826, havr

The mouth

ing become entangled in a net set for Salmon.

seemed more
is

feeble

than

in

most of

its

genus,

rendered more probable by the circumstances of

ture

for the

Blue Shark (next

instant have cut its

fatal to

way through an obstruction

the Thresher.

Herrings."

to be described)

The stomach was

filled

w ould
r

which

its

capin

an

that proved

with young

BLUE SHARK.

CHONDROPTERYG1L

SQUALID^.

THE BLUE SHARK.

Carcharias glaucus, Le Bleu,
Galeus glaucus.
Blew Shark,

Squalus
,,

,,

Le Cagnot

,,

Blue Shark,

Carcharias

THE

,,

poets

WILLUGHBY,

bleu,

,,

affection of the

theme of

CUVIER, Regne An.

p. 388.

t. ii.

p. 49, B. 8.

BLOCK, pt. iii. pi. 86.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 143.
FLEM. Brit. Au. p. 167, sp. 13.

Blue Shark

young was the

for its

several of the older writers, ichthyologists as well as

and mariners of the present day believe

ger appears, the young brood enter the

that,

mouth

when dan-

of the parent

and take shelter in its belly. Living young have doubtbeen found in the stomachs of large Sharks their extraordinary tenacity of life is proverbial, and will account for
fish,

less

this

but the safety to be expected from incarceration in

such a prison

is

somewhat problematical.

The Blue Shark

is

an inhabitant of the Mediterranean,

and appears to occur much more frequently on the Devonshire and Cornish coasts than on
any other part of the British
Islands it has also been taken off the south coast of Ireland,
;

and has been known

to

wander even

as far north as Zetland.

Mr. Couch, who has had frequent opportunities of seeing

" The Blue
this species, makes the
following observations
:

382
Shark

is

migratory, and

have never known

coast of Cornwall before the middle of

it

becomes abundant, so that

June

on the fishermen

boats, watch

the lines,

is

arrive

on the

but afterwards

have known eleven taken in

one boat, and nine in another, in one day.

inflict

it

great,

The

injury they

they hover about the

as

(which they sometimes cut asunder

without any obvious motive,) and pursue the

fish

that are

drawn up.

own

destruc-

tion

This, indeed, often leads to their

but when their teeth do not deliver them from their

they have a singular method of proceeding, which

by rolling the body round so as to twine the line about
them throughout its whole length ; and sometimes this is done

difficulty,
is

in such a

complicated manner, that I have

give up any

attempt to unroll

Pilchard drift-net this Shark

and

it is

common

it

is

known

a fisherman

as a hopeless task.
still

To

the

more dangerous enemy,

whole

for it to pass in succession along the

length of the net, cutting out, as with shears, the

fish

and the

net that holds them, and swallowing both together."

The specimen

described measured fourteen

inches

head depressed, broadest between the eyes, which are

the

lateral

half-way between the eyes and the point of the nose are the nos-

downwards and backwards, the

trils,

linear, directed obliquely

most

inferior portion covered with a valvular fold of skin

eyes round and rather large

the

mouth forming

the teeth in this specimen very minute,

species,

370 belong

and were from a specimen about

length, in each

jaw of which there

the

the cutting teeth on

the left hand in the representation at page

this

half a circle,

six

to

feet in

are three rows, those im-

mediately in the centre, to the number of four, being calculated

more

for holding than cutting

the

number of rows of

teeth in the Sharks are said, and I believe correctly, to increase with age,

The

and vary

in

this

species from one to

six.

branchial apertures are five, the fourth placed over the

BLUE SHARK.
line of the anterior

large

383

edge of the pectoral

and falciform

fin

the pectoral fins

the body of the fish deepest in the line

of their origin, but becoming more compressed and tapering

from thence

to the tail

the

first

dorsal fin situated over the

space between the pectoral and anal

fins,

rather small, low

and rounded above, with a horizontal projecting elongation

at the base behind
the ventral fins small, obliquely truncat:

ed, and placed under the space between the first and second
dorsal fins ; the anal fin placed half-way between the ventral
fins

and the lower lobe of the

second dorsal

backwards

fin,

the

tail

opposed to or under the

tail,

and each ending

in a prolongation directed

divided, the upper lobe two-thirds longer

than the lower, the vertebral column continued along

somewhat triangular

inferior lobe

falciform,

in shape

it

the

the upper lobe

and with an extension of the membrane towards the

extreme end.

The whole
dorsal fins,

of the upper surface of the head, back, both

and most of the

tail,

are of a fine slate blue

surface of the pectoral

and ventral

the

are also

irides,

upper

blue

the lower part of the sides, under surface of the head,

neck, pectoral

base of the

fins, belly,

tail,

white.

ventral fins,

The

fins,

and the anal

fin to

skin of this Shark has a granu-

lated appearance on the surface,

and

is

only slightly rough to

the touch on passing the finger in the direction from the

towards the head.

For

the

a reference to habits see volume

i.

page 150.

tail

384

SQUALIU.K.

CHONDROPTEKYGII.

SQUALID ft.

THE PORBEAGLE.
'

I.uiiuiu Cin-nnl-icu,

Pm-beagle,

,,

,,

.S'(/f//i<s

n.llegneAn. t. ii. p. 389.

An. p. 168, sp. 15.

l.eSqmih-

Ctirnnbicus,

Fi

M. Brit.

PENN.

,,

Brit. Zool. vol.

I'.rit.

p. 152.

GOODENOUGH, Linn. Trans,

,,

,,

iii.

Fish. pi. 108.

vol.

iii.

p. 80,

tab. 15.
.1

Generic Characters.
der surface

all

IN

ss,

Man.

Brit. Vert. p. 500, sp. 189.

Point of the nose conical, nostrils pierced on

the five branchial apertures in advance

its

un-

of the origin of the

the first dorsal fin placed much nearer the line of the pectoral than
pectorals
the anal fins ; lobes of the tail nearly equal.
;

THE PORBEAGLE

occurs

than on the southern coasts

more frequently on the northern

of this country, and is mentioned

The specimen described

having been taken at Belfast.
and figured by Dr. Goodenough in the Transactions of the

as

Linnean Society, as quoted, was taken at Hastings

Mr.
Couch has seen it occasionally in Cornwall, and it was figured
;

by Dr. Borlase

in his history

states of this species,

in pursuit

u That

it

of that coast.

Mr. Couch

associates in small companies

of prey, from which circumstance, and a distant

PORBEAGLE.

385

resemblance to the Porpus, they derive their name.

found the remains of cartilaginous fishes and Cuttles
stomachs,

and

in

one instance three full-grown

I have
in their

Hakes.

This species attains a large size at an early age, so that I

have found it cutting its second row of teeth when nearly fullgrown."

On

the northern and north-east coast

it

occurs most fre-

quently during autumn, and, not to multiply descriptions

already in print,

shall here insert

one furnished by Dr.

George Johnston of Berwick, who examined two specimens

in the autumn of 1834, both of which were taken in Berwick Bay, and who also very kindly sent me, with his description, a portion

hand

right

of a jaw, from which the teeth on the

at page

Of

370 were drawn.

these teeth there

were three rows, the third or inner row being much smaller
than the teeth of the two preceding rows, and perhaps only
recently exposed.

Body

fusiform, very narrow at the

ed there on each side

skin smooth

tail,

and strongly keel-

when stroked backwards,

of a uniform greyish black colour, the belly white

snout

obtusely pointed, with a band of punctures on each side of

the forehead terminating above the eyes, a few similar punctures behind the eyes,

the nostrils

and a triangular patch of them before

they are the apertures of canals

transparent jelly

eyes round, dark blue

filled

branchial

with a

slits five,

cut across the neck, the posterior oblique and close to the
pectoral fin

back rounded

dorsal fin triangular, with a free

pointed pale-coloured process behind

also

pointed posteriorly;

pectorals

posterior dorsal fin

somewhat

obliquely sinuate on the posterior edge, black

triangular,

ventral fins

rhomboidal, meeting at the mesial line, on which are the

anal

and generative apertures

hind

tail

anal fin small, pointed be-

lunate, with unequal lobes, the superior and larg-

386
est

.SUUAL1D.E.

with a projecting outline near the tip

there

is

flat

one opposite

similar

straight

there

The

is

above the

tail

space bounded by a short transverse ridge, and

on

the

ventral

side

line

lateral

the keel on the body runs forward on the

a small keel beneath this confined to the

tail,

and

tail itself.

length along the lateral line, five feet eight inches and a
circumference in front of the dorsal

half;

fin,

two

feet eight

inches and a half; from the snout to the eye, four inches and
three-quarters

diameter of the eye, one inch and one-tenth

breadth between the eyes,

five inches

and one-quarter

the snout to the margin of the upper

half,

lip,

four inches and a

thence to the angle of the mouth also four inches and a

half; breadth of the

mouth from angle

to angle, eight inches

and one-quarter from the snout to the

one foot three inches ; snout to pectoral
;

inches and a half; length of pectoral

breadth of pectoral
fin,

from

two

feet

fin, six

one inch and three-quarters

inches and one-quarter

;

height of dorsal

length of dorsal

first

and second dorsal

extreme breadth of the

length of the

and one quarter.

one foot

six

one foot one inch

it,

fin,

ten

fin,

three

fins,

one

length from the snout to the anal aperture,

three feet eight inches

eight inches

gill-aperture,

length of the free portion of

space between the

foot eight inches

fin,

inches and a half; snout to dorsal

nine inches and three-quarters

inches

fin,

first

tail in

tail,

one foot

the mesial line, six inches

KKAUMAR1S SHARK.

387

CHONDROPTERYGII.

SQUALID&.

THE BEAUMARIS SHARK.

Lamna

Monem>is, CUVIER,

Regne An.

t. ii.

p. 389, notel.

Beaumaris Shark, SHAW, Gen. Zool.

Squalus
,,

,,

PENN.

,,

,,

JEN YNS, Man.

,,

BARON CUVIER,
considers the

his

in

vol. v. pt. 2, p.

Brit. Vert. p. 501, sp. 190.

Regne Animal,

zle

and sharper teeth

larger,

to this

its

may be added

distinct

from

shorter

muz-

that the eye

is

the pectoral and dorsal fins are placed farther

back on the body, and the bulk of the

portion to its length.
nant's

above quoted,

as

Monensis of Shaw and Pennant

the Cornubicus last described, on account of

much

350.

Brit. Zool. vol. iii.p. 254, pi. 20.

British

The

Zoology,

fish is greater in

editor of the last edition of

pro-

Pen-

published in 1812, possessing at

that time the original drawing of the

Rev.

Hugh

Davies of

Beaumaris, has borne testimony to the correctness of Pennant's figure of this fish,

Beaumaris Shark

is

which had been questioned

and the

therefore considered, provisionally, as a

distinct species.

Two
occurred

specimens, the only examples known, having both

on the Anglesey side of the Menai, confirm the

388

SdUALIIKE.

propriety of the terms Beaumaris Shark and Monensis,

which

this fish

Some

known.

is

particulars of both

by
exam-

ples are here added from Pennant.

" The

specimen obtained was seven

first

snout and body of a cylindrical form

ence four feet eight
small

flatted

on each

The

first

the

the nose blunt

the nostrils

three rows of slender teeth,

the teeth are fixed to the jaws

and are

certain muscles,

long

very sharp, and furnished at the base

side,

with two sharp processes

pleasure.

mouth armed with

the

inches

feet

the greatest circumfer-

liable to

by

be raised or depressed at

dorsal fin was two feet eight inches dis-

tant from the snout, of a triangular form

the second very

small, and placed near the tail ; the pectoral fins strong and
the ventral and anal small
the space between the
large
;

second dorsal

and the

fin

forming an acute angle

The

fossule or dent.

tail

tail

sides

was in the form of a crescent, but

the horns of unequal length

The

the

depressed,

above and below was a transverse

the upper, one foot ten inches;

the lower, one foot one inch.

colour.

much

The whole

fish

was of a lead

skin comparatively smooth, being far less rough

than that of the lesser species of this genus."

" The second

example was nine
that

is,

feet six inches in

length,

and a half longer than the first, but each

bore an exact proportion to the corresponding

two

feet

part of this

parts of the other

except that the nose of

this, although
above one-third a larger animal than the former, was smaller

in every

and

respect,

shorter, as

it

being more abruptly tapering, but blunt

measured but four inches and eight-tenths

from the eye to the end, whereas the snout of the smaller fish
was six inches in length from the end to the eye. This was a
vast animal

its

general circumference seemed greater in pro-

portion to its length, than that of the former, but

ticularly so at the region of the

abdomen.

This

it

is

was parreadily

BEAUMA1US SHAKK.
accounted

when we say

for,

belly four

its

thirty inches

from the

young
long.

liver.

As

that

it

was a female, and had in

ones, each about eight-and-twenty or

Seventeen quarts of oil were obtained
it

is

supposed, with reason, that in this

tribe of ferocious animals, the female

I

am

389

is

invariably the largest,

induced to conclude, that the specimen which I observ-

ed near forty years ago, might have been a full-grown male,

and that the difference between the two sexes is inferiority of
size

with regard to the male, but with a front in every re-

spect larger than that of a female."

" In the
nants Tour

third
in

volume of the

Wales, the Rev.

late edition

Hugh

of Mr.

Pen-

Davies has furnished

some further observations on the Beaumaris Shark, and a

comparative outline

is

given of that species and of the Por-

beagle Shark."

The

latter species appears to

mon fish of the two.

The vignette represents

be by much the more com-

the sort of hand-line used at sea

on the Hampshire coast for Mackerel and Whiting

and is usually called the Portsmouth pattern.

fishing,

390

SQI.U.IDJ:.

SQUALID^.

<-IH)\DliOPTERYGU.

THE COMMON TOPE.

i

Galeus

i>o<;,

ndre,

vulg'i

Cnnis gtilpus Homleletii,

I
LINNJEUS.
,,
Sij mi us
'

,,

,,

Galeus vulgaris,

M n.i. Kit's DOG, Cornwall.

Hastings.

CUVIER, Regne An. t.

WILLUGHBY, p. 51, B.

ii.

p. 389.

6,

fig.

1.

BLOCH, pt. iv. pi. 118.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 146,
Tope Shark,
Common Tope, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 165, sp. 6.

Squalus galeus,

,,

,,

Not

Generic Characters.

JENYNS, Man.

pi. 18.

Brit. Vert. p. 501, sp. 191,

very dissimilar to those of the genus Carcharias

the teeth serrated
;
:

disposition of the fins the same, but have temporal orifices

on the outer edge only.

THE TOPE
where

it

Miller's
shire

common

known by

is

Dog

is

it

species along the southern coast,

the

names

has also been noticed

of

Penny Dog and

by Pennant

in Flint-

and by others on the south coast of Ireland, about the

shore of the county of Kerry.

It

is

not, however, considered

so plentiful in the north, but has been taken about Berwick

Bay, and

its

address to the

Club

occurrence recorded by Dr. Johnston in his

Members

for the year

1832.

of the Berwickshire Natural History

COMMON

On

the Cornish coast

species

The

but

it

TOPE.

this

is

391

common and

rapacious

not so destructive as the Blue Shark.

is

larger specimens,

which are about

six feet long,

abound

summer

and the young, to the number of

;
chiefly
thirty or more, according to Mr. Couch, are excluded all at
in

once from the female in

May

through the

first

the liver for

They do

not reach

winter, while those of larger size retire into

No

deep water.

and June.

second year, and continue with us

the full size until the

use

is

made

When

oil.

of this fish

beyond melting

caught on a fisherman's

line,

this

sometimes has recourse to the same attempt at deliverance as the Blue Shark, by twisting the line throughout

fish

the whole length round

fusiform

Body
straight

the

first

its

the

body.

skin

almost

and second dorsal

smooth
fins

lateral

line

rather small, tri-

angular, very slightly convex on their posterior edges, both

ending in points directed backwards

the

first

dorsal

fin

pectoral and ventral

fins
the second immediately over the anal fin, and a little
the head is rather large
the muzzle elonlarger in size
gated and depressed ; nostrils pierced very near the mouth,

placed over the interval between the

;

in

part closed

the

mouth

by a membrane
temporal

the eyes moderate, and over

orifices small

the jaws semicircular

and very nearly alike both

above and below, triangular and denticulated on the outer
teeth

side

small,

in

several

rows,

the branchial apertures are small, placed near together,

the four

first

nearly equal in size, the fifth the smallest, and

placed over the anterior edge of the pectoral fins

ventral fins

moderate

the pec-

and triangular in shape ; the

small, near the middle of the whole length, and

toral fins are of

size,

under the space between the first and second dorsal ; the
tail rather less than half the length of the
body, with a
bi-lobed

fin

the upper lobe terminal, oblique, and truncated;

392

SQUALID

K.

the inferior lobe with one deep triangular elongation, and a

smaller one near the end.

All the upper part of the body and sides are of a uniform
slate grey,

the under surface lighter in colour, inclining to

greyish white.

The

vignette represents a boat of the

Lake

SMOOTH HOUND.

S[)S

CHONDROPTERYGTI.

SQUALID M.

THE SMOOTH HOUND.

SKATE-TOOTHED SHARK.

Mustelus

LINNAEUS.

Smooth Shark, PENN.

,,

Mustelus lavis,
Squalus mustelus,

Generic Characters.

THIS Shark
is

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

p. 151.

Smooth Hound, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 166, sp. 4.

,,
,,
JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 502,

The same

pointed teeth, which in this are

It

Cornwall.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 389.

WILLUGHBY, p. 60, B. 5, f. 2.

L'Emissole,

Itevis,

Squalus mustelus,

RAY-MOUTHED DOG,

is

as in the last genus, Galeus, except the

those of the Skate.

flat, like

rather a

common

round our

species

occasionally taken in the Frith of Forth

ing says the flesh of

sp. 192.

coast.

and Dr. Flem-

used as food in the Hebrides, and

it is

esteemed a delicate dish.

is

I have received this Shark from

Dr. Johnston of Berwick, and have seen

on the coasts of Kent and Sussex.

at various places

it

It

called

is

Smooth

Hound, from the comparative softness of its skin in reference

and it is also called Rayto British Sharks in general
;

mouthed Dog

in Cornwall,

from the form of

and without prominent points,

male or young male of the Thornback.
are flat

sents an inside

and teeth of
VOL.

II.

its teeth,

which

like those of the fe-

The

vignette repre-

and an outside view of one half of the mouth

this Shark,

which are so different from those of

2 D

S(i

any other British Shark

ment of these
is

'.

\LID.T..

purpose of a distin-

as to serve the

The

guishing character.

peculiarity in the form

and arrange-

teeth, so closely resembling those of the Skate,

seen by comparing the vignette before referred to with that

representing the

teeth

Thornback, which

of the

is

given

when describing the first species of true Skate.

The young of the Smooth Hound frequently have nume-

hereafter,

rous small white spots above the lateral line

but the teeth

and other characters agree so closely with the spotless grey

examples of larger size, that I am induced to consider these
spots only as marks of youth, which may also be observed in
other species, particularly in the Picked Dog-fish, Spina*

Acanthias, Cuvier

and

in this

view

am

further confirmed

by the opinions of Mr. Couch and Dr. Johnston.

Mr. Couch says of this species, in reference to
that

it is

its

habits,

common, but not abundant, and keeps close to the

bottom on clean ground, where

mals, which

it

feeds on crustaceous ani-

crushes previous to swallowing, and for which

it

it also takes a
pavement-like teeth are well adapted
less
but
is
than
of
most
the
The young
tribe.
bait,
rapacious
are produced alive in November, the whole coming to perfec-

its flat

tion at once

but they are few in number, not perhaps ex-

ceeding a dozen, and soon after birth they

'all
go into deep
w
hich
do
not
from
until
the
water,
they
emerge
following
r

May.
This species has been taken on the coasts of the counties
of Antrim and Londonderry.

The specimen
length

measured

described

the top of the head

flat

eighteen

and rather broad

ning of the back elevated and rather rounded

lateral,

elongated horizontally

temporal

considerably larger than the second

in

the begin-

the eye large,

orifices rather small,

and placed immediately behind the posterior angle:

fin

inches

first

dorsal

both of the same

SMOOTH HOUND.

395

shape, with an elongated free point at the base projecting

backward, the centre of the

dorsal at the distance of six

first

and that of the second

inches,

Under

point of the nose.

at twelve inches,

head

surface of the

flat

from the
nostrils

semilunar in shape, with a central free cutaneous valve

mouth

gular in shape than semicircular

in a free elongation of the

ending

flat, like those of a

fin

teeth small,

pectoral fins large,

com-

begins

a line under the middle of the second

its size,

ends but a

is

The

Sharks in general

body, and

fins,

lateral line
is

first

surface of the
:

behind

is

made up of two
long, the second and
is

body smoother than

that of

the colour of the upper part of the head,

pearl grey

prominent

under parts greyish yellow white

it the
body along its whole
:

above

marked with numerous small

which, as before stated, are

young.

of which

little

a long narrow horizon-

the free part of the under portion

last short.

length

on each outside

in

triangular portions, the

is

the upper part of the caudal fin

tal slip

lip

membrane; the

young Skate

dorsal fin, but being only half

:

upper

and a half from the point of the

under the space between the two dorsals

ventral fins

the anal

it

the

at three inches

mencing
nose

half the width of the whole under surface, rather an-

circular white

most conspicuous while

spots,

this fish

396

CHONDROPTERYCIL

SQUALID&.

THE BASKING SHARK.

THE SUN-FISH,
Selachns maiimus,

Le

Sqnalus

LINNA.US?

,,

,,

(Hid

SAIL-FISH.

CUVIER, Regne An.

Pelerin,

p.

390.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 134, pi.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 164, sp. 5.

,,

Bashing Shark,

,,

Common

,,

Basking Shark, JENYNS, Man.

Sail-Jish,

t. ii.

Brit. Vert. p.

16.

503, sp. 193.

Generic Characters.

Branchial apertures elongated, nearly surrounding the

placed in advance of the pectoral fins
temporal orifices present ;
teeth very numerous, small, conical, without serrated edges ; anal fin present.
neck,

all

THE BASKING SHARK,

so called from its habit of remain-

ing occasionally at the surface of the water almost motionless,

as if enjoying the influence of the sun's rays,
also
fish,

whence

it

is

on some parts of the Irish and Welsh coasts called Sunis one of the
largest of the true fishes, and has been

known

to measure thirty-six feet in length.

It has

been seen

generally from the month of June to the commencement of

winter.
When northerly winds prevail, it is most frequent

on the west coast of Scotland.

It has also

been seen on the

BASKING SHARK.

397

north and on the west coasts of Ireland.

prevail,

it is

If westerly winds

not unusual to see them along the whole line of

the southern coast.

It has

been taken on the coasts of

Waterford, Wales, Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and

times at different places on the coast

several

The specimen

described and figured

by

of Sussex.

E. Home,

Sir

in the

Philosophical Transactions for 1809, was taken off Hastings ;

and the largest specimen I have seen, which measured thirtysix feet in length,

From

was caught some years since off Brighton.

our southern coast

it

frequently wanders as far to the

eastward and south as the coast of France

and the

fish de-

scribed and figured by M. de Blainville in the eighteenth

volume of the Annales du Museum, I have very little doubt

was of the same species as that described by Sir E. Home,

which has been already referred to.

The
fish,

difficulty of obtaining a perfect

when

either

weight

it

lies

floating in water,

partly imbedded

or

view of this unwieldy

when from

its

great

in the soft soil of the sea-

shore, has led to the differences which appear in the repre-

sentations of

it

which have been published by different na-

turalists.

The Basking Shark

is

said to exhibit but little

ferocious character of the Sharks in general, and

ferent to the approach of a boat as to suffer
its

body when

its

habit of

listlessly

its

back, out of water,

North the name of

it

even to touch

itself at the surface.

swimming slowly along with

sometimes part of
the

sunning

Sail-fish.

its
it

of the

so indif-

is

From

dorsal fin,

and

has obtained in

In Orkney

it

is

called

Hoe-mother, and by contraction Homer, that is, the mother of the Picked Dog-fish, which is there called the Hoe.
If deeply struck with a harpoon, the Basking Shark plunges
down, and swims away with such rapidity and vio-

suddenly

lence as to

become a

difficult as well as

a dangerous capture.

398

S<U'ALID,E.

This species has the smallest teeth in proportion to its size

No remains of fish have been found
of any of the Sharks.

One examined by Mr. Low

in its stomach.

pulpy mass,

Low

Mr.

Echini.

adds, that this Shark 's appearance, manners, and

pons do not indicate

that

contained a red

like bruised crabs, or the roe of

its

food

it

Linnaeus says

fish.

that

it

sub-

on marine plants.

sisted

The body

is

thickest about the middle,

towards both extremities

lindrical

lour, with tints of blue.

pores

afloat the

form

is

nearly cy-

The head

conical, the

muzzle short,

smooth, and pierced with numerous

circular

eyes near the snout, small, oval, the elongation hori-

zontal,

the irides brown

branchial opening

small

when

and diminishes

the skin thick and rough, of a brownish black co-

rather blunt,

first

be a ravenous

to

Medusa, and Pennant considered

is

w ca-

is

half-way between the eye and the

the temporal

orifice,

oblique and

branchial openings five on each side, of great vertical

length, each set including the whole side of the neck,

leaving only a small space above and below

nostrils

and
oval,

small, placed rather laterally, and opening on the edge of

the upper lip

fish,

pectoral fins of moderate size for so large a

perhaps, as before stated, the largest of the true fishes,

the form somewhat triangular, placed close to the last bran-

convex anteriorly and thick, slightly concave

and much thinner behind ; the ventral fins also of moderate
chial orifice,

size,

rather elongated at the base, placed behind the middle

of the whole length of the

fish,

convex in front, concave be-

hind, the inner and posterior half free,

exhibiting in the

figure chosen the cylindrical

The

first

dorsal fin,

length of the

fish, is

elevated triangle

appendages peculiar to the male.

placed before the middle of the whole
much the larger of the two, forming an

anterior edge but slightly convex, posterior

edge concave, with an elongated point at the base directed

BASKING SHARK.
backwards

the second dorsal fin

much

399

smaller than the

first,

rounded above, attached throughout half its base only, and

placed at two-thirds of the distance from the first dorsal to
the caudal fin
dorsal,
fin

the anal

fin

is

but of the same shape.

smaller than the second

still

From

to the base of the tail there

is

the line of the anal

a strong and prominent

and just in advance of the base

both above and below, is a groove, that

keel-like edge

on each side

of the caudal

fin,

underneath rather smaller than that above.

The

caudal

fin

divided into two lobes, the upper one larger than the lower
the posterior edge of the caudal

appears to

fin

become notch-

ed and abraded by age and use, and is frequently found unequal at its margin, and variable in shape.

The

vignette below represents

the Argulus foliaceus of

animal occasionally found

; another species of parasitic
I
have specimens that were
attached to fresh-water fishes.

Jurine

taken from the Pike and the Trout.

The

figure

on the

left-

hand represents the upper surface of a male by the powers

of the microscope some of the vessels of the body are ren:

dered visible through the external tunic.

The

figure

right-hand represents the under surface of a female

are very conspicuous.

of the natural

size.

The

on the
the ova

small figure between the two

is

400

SUUALID.E.

SQUAL1U&.

CHUXDROPTERYG1I.

THE PICKED

DOG-FISH.

BONE-DOG, Sussex.

Regne An.

Spinai acanthias, L'aiguillat, CUVIER,

Galeus

,,

sive spinai,

Squalus

,,

LINNJEUS.

HOE, Orkney.

WILI.UGHBY,

BLOCH,
fig.

pt.

iii.

p. 56,
pi.

85

t.

ii.

B. 5,
;

p.
f.

391.
1.

the young, pt.

iii.

,,

spinax,

Picked Shark, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol.

,,

acanthias,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 82.

Common Dog-fish, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 166, sp. 10.
Picked Dog-Jish, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 505,

Spinax

,,

Squalus

,,

no anal

75,

iii.

p. 133.

,,

,,

Generic Characters.

edge of each

pi.

1.

Two
fin

sp. 194.

dorsal fins, with a strong spine at the anterior

temporal orifices present ; teeth in several rows,

small and cutting.

THE PICKED DoG-Fisn

is

a very

common

species,

at

once distinguished from the other British Sharks by the single spine placed in advance of each of

a weapon from which

it

two dorsal

fins,

derives its specific appellation, pick

being synonymous with pike or spike.

where

its

Among

the Scotch

Hoe,
islands,
appears most numerous at the full and change of the moon, on account of the
then greater quantity of water, and consequent increased
it

is

called the

strength or race of the tide in

it

some of the narrow

straits.

PICKED DOG-FISH.

401

Being gregarious, they frequently make

their appearance in

such shoals that the fishermen load their boats to the water's

edge with them

and, according to Mr.

The

valuable capture.

flesh

yield a large quantity of

oil,

is

Low, they prove a

dried and eaten

refuse parts are strewed over the land as manure.

says this species

is

common

very

the livers

while their intestines and other

in the

Dr. Neill

Forth during the

Herring season, where numbers are caught

but their

flesh is

not eaten in that neighbourhood.

The Picked

Dog-fish

is

found in numbers at most of the

fishing stations along the east coast,

sex on the south coast, where

it

is

round to Kent and Susalmost universally called

the Bone Dog.

According to Montagu's MS. it is very
numerous in Devonshire and in Cornwall Mr. Couch says,
" It is the most abundant of the
and is sometimes
:

Sharks,

found in incalculable numbers, to the no small annoyance of

the fishermen, whose hooks they cut from the lines in rapid
I have heard of twenty thousand taken in a sean

succession.
at

one time

and such

is

the strength of instinct, that

creatures not exceeding six inches in length

found, in

the larger and stronger, following schulls of

company with
fish,

may be

little

on which at that time

it

is

impossible they should be

The Picked Dog bends

able to prey.

itself into

the form

of a bow for the purpose of using its spines, and by a sudden

motion causes them to spring asunder in opposite directions ;

and

so accurately

is

this intention effected, that if a finger

be

placed on its head, it will strike it without piercing its own

This fish is subject, like many others, to occasional
skin.
friend of mine was in possession of a Pickmonstrosity.

ed Dog-fish with two heads, the separation continuing so far

back as behind the pectoral fins.
The fisherman who found
it

informed

and that

it

me

that there was only one egg attached to

must have been dropped from the mother

it,

after

402

SQUALID.E.

The young

she was taken.

are

at various periods

produced

from June to November."

The whole
inches

length of the specimen described was eighteen

the top of the head

and seen from above

flat

third of the whole length

the temporal orifices large,

dorsal fin

first

rather small in size

at

commencing

one-

front edge

convex, concave behind; the point of the spine preceding the

fin half as

high as the

tween the

first

spine as high as the

lateral,

fin

the second dorsal fin half-way be-

and the end of the

fin

valve

small in

size,

the nose rather pointed

elongated horizontally

semicircular,

temporal

but above the line of the eye

mouth

tail

orifices

the eyes

behind, large,

nostrils small, with a

when

with a

minute

quite open nearly round

the teeth from the centre of both jaws with points projecting

outward on each

side, the edges sharp

pectoral fins large,

commencing half-way between the snout and the

anal

fins

tween the

first

ending in a

and second dorsal

no anal

slip

prolonged backward.

young specimens generally

fin

tail

powerful,

anterior part triangular,

the head, body, and fins, slate grey

;

dorsal

small, placed intermediate, in a vertical line, be-

upper membrane broad, the lower

white

first

The upper

part of

under parts yellowish

exhibit a few white spots.

Skin moderately rough on passing the finger upwards towards

; in the contrary direction quite smooth.

the head

GREENLAND SHARK.

403

CHONDROPTERYGIL

SQUAL1DA.

THE GREENLAND SHARK.

Scymnus

borealis,

Squalus

,,

Greenland Shark, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 166, sp. 11.

SCORESBY, Arctic Regions, vol. i.

p.

538,

pi. 15, figs. 3, 4.

,,

NILSSON, Prod. Icht.

Faber,

glacialis,

Scand.

p.

116,

sp.7.

Greenland Shark, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert,

borealis,

,,

Generic Characters,

Two

p.

506, sp. 195.

rows of cutting teeth in the lower jaw

several

rows of slender, pointed teeth in the upper temporal orifices present two dorsal fins, the first near the middle of the body, the second but little behind the
:

line of the ventrals

THIS
Seas,

no anal

fin

tail shoit.

species of Shark, which

is

a native of the Northern

has been twice noticed in Scotland, and

is

therefore

According to Dr. Fleming,

one was caught in the Pentland Firth in 1803 ; and another,
measuring thirteen feet and a half long, found dead at Burra
entitled to a place in this work.

by Mr. Edmonston.
This Shark appears to be well known to several Northern
and the following account, as well as the figure,
zoologists

Firth, Unst, was seen

of this fish/

is

derived from the valuable work on the Arctic

Regions by Captain

W.

Scoresby.

404

SQUALID.E.

" The
Squalus

borealis

The opening

ence.

twelve

is

length, sometimes more, and

of the mouth, which

across the lower part of the head,

The

ty-four inches in width.

is

extends

in the other.

but has the temporal opening

on the neck are five in number on each side.

The

irides

nearly

from twenty-one to twen-

fin,

cinereous grey.

in

feet

teeth are serrated in one jaw,

and lancet-shaped and denticulated

out the anal

fourteen

or

six or eight feet in circumfer-

are blue,

the

It

is

with-

the spiracles

The

colour

pupil

is

emerald

green."

" This Shark

it

and annoys

is

one of the foes of the Whale.

while living, and feeds on

it

it

It bites

when dead.

It scoops hemispherical pieces out of its

body, nearly as big

and continues scooping and gorging lump
after lump, until the whole cavity of its belly is filled.
It
is so insensible of
that
it has been run
pain,
though
through
as a person's

the

body with

seen

it

it

and escaped, yet, after a while, I have

banquet again on the Whale, at the very

a knife

return to

spot where
it

head

received

its

wounds,

The heart

performs six or eight pulsations in a

nues

its

is

very small

beating for some hours after taken out of the body.

The body,

though separated into any number of parts,

also,

gives evidence

of

life

for a similar length of time.

therefore extremely difficult to

trust the

hand

in its

from the body.

kill.

It

is

It

is

actually unsafe to

mouth, though the head be separated

Though

the Whale-fishers frequently slip

into the water where Sharks abound, there has been

stance,

minute, and conti-

no

in-

that I have heard of, of their ever having been at-

tacked by the Shark."

" Besides dead

Whales, the Sharks feed on small fishes
and crabs. A fish, in size and form resembling a Whiting,
was found

in the

cess of digestion

stomach of one that

had gone

I killed

but the pro-

so far, that its species could not

GREENLAND SHARK.
be satisfactorily discovered.
used

the rest of

its

405

In swimming, the

tail

only

being spread out to balance

fins

it,

is

are

never observed in motion but when some change of direction

is

required.'"

" To the

posterior edge of the pupil of the eye

attached

is

one or two inches in length.

consists of two filaments, but the cen-

a white vermiform substance,

Each extremity of

it

tral part is single.

because

man

it

and

The

is,

imagine this Shark

indeed, so apparently stupid, that

draws back when a blow

The

sailors

is

blind,

pays not the least attention to the presence of a

is

aimed

at

it

never

it

with a knife or lance."

eyes of this Greenland Shark, with the appendages,

home by Captain W. Scoresby, preserved in

and submitted to Sir David Brewster, who gave one

were brought
spirits,

The appendage proved to be a new

named Lern<za

specimen to Dr. Grant.

species of parasitic animal, which Dr. Grant

elongata, and described

it, adding a figure of it, in the seThe

venth volume of the Edinburgh Journal of Science.
imperfection of the vision of the fish was probably produced

by the

various perforations

cula of this

new

made

in the cornea

species of Lerneea

as

it is

by the

by

that these parasitic animals retain their hold

tenta-

those organs

and

live

upon

the fluids extracted from the animal to which they adhere.

This species of Lerneea

is

perhaps the largest known

it

mea-

sured three inches in length.

The genus

of Sharks next in order, according to Cuvier's

arrangement in the Regne Animal, is that of Zygana, or

Hammer-headed Sharks, of which a single specimen is recorded by Messrs. C. and J. Paget, in their Sketch of the

Natural History of Yarmouth, page 17, to have been taken

there in October 1829, the head of which is now preserved
in the

The

Norwich Museum.
specific

name

of the example taken, and here referred

406

SUI-ALID.E.

has not, I believe, been determined.

to,

paper by M. Valenciennes
moires du Museum, which

in

reference to a

the ninth volume of the

Me-

supplies detailed descriptions of

four species of this genus, would probably settle this point.

representation of the

malleus, Val.

is

most common species, Zygeena

here given as a vignette to draw the atten-

tion of observers to the subject

ANGEL-FISH.

407

CHONDROPTERYGIL

SQUAUD&.

THE ANGEL-FISH.
MONK-FISH, SHARK-RAY, and KINGSTON.
DUMERIL.

Squatina angelus,

Monk,

t. ii.

WILLUGHBY,

p. 394.

p. 79,

D.

3.

LINNJEVS.

BLOCH, pt. iv. pi. 116.

Angel Shark, PENN. Brit. Zooi. vol.

Squalus squatina,
,,

CUVIER, Regne An.

or Angel-fish,

,,

iii.

130, pi. 15,

p.

male.

DON.

,,

Squatina vulgaris,
Angelus,

Brit. Fish. pi. 17.

FLEM.

Monk-fali,

Brit.

An.

JENYNS, Man.

Angel-fish,

p. 169, sp. 16.

Brit. Vert. p. 507, sp. 197.

Body very much depressed ; head flat, rounded anteboth eyes on the upper surface ; temporal orifices present mouth at the
end of the snout ; pectoral fins large ; two dorsal fins, both behind the ventrals ;
Generic Characters.

riorly

no anal

fin.

THIS
its

fish, certainly

form than for

its

more remarkable
is

beauty,

France, and Italy, and

is

said to have acquired

from the extended pectoral

wings

it

is

for the singularity of

called Angel-fish in

fins

also called Monk-fish, because its

its

body has obtained

name

having the appearance of

looks as if enveloped in a monk's hood.

the form of

England,

that

for

it

rounded head

Mr. Donovan says

in some places the

408

SQUALID.K.

name of

Fiddle-fish

and

it is

also called

Shark-Ray, from

its

partaking of the characters of both Shark and Ray, though

in

some

means

respects distinct from either.

It

is,

however, by no

so truly osculant between those families as the exotic

genus Rhinobatus.
It

but

is

most numerous on the southern coast of our island

occasionally taken in the Forth, and

is

some other

parts

of the east coast, particularly about Cromer and Yarmouth.

It

common on

is

the coasts of

Pinax.

It

is

name

called a Kingston,

Kent and Sussex, where

for

that occurs in

it

also taken in Cornwall

and

is

it is

Merretf s

recorded as oc-

curring in Ireland on the coasts of Kerry, Waterford,

Dub-

and Belfast.

lin,

This
fishes,

fish is

which, like

ally, like
floats

very voracious, and feeds on the smaller

them

over

itself,

also,

The

it.

swim

hiding

close to the

itself in

bottom

flat-

occasion-

the loose, soft soil that

sometimes attains a large

Angel-fish

Cuvier, Pennant, and others, mention having seen

specimens that would have weighed one hundred pounds.
size.

The
is

flesh is

now

considered indifferent and seldom eaten, but

been formerly held in high estimation.

The
rather rough, and is used for polishing, and other

said to have

skin

is

works in the

arts

the present time

Mr. Donovan

make shagreen

also says that the

of

Turks

at

it.

second species of this genus has been supposed to occur

but the Angel-fish is probably liable to some

variation in colour, depending on the nature of the ground

on our coast

in the locality in

some

differences.

which

The

it is

found

the sexes also exhibit

females produce their young alive in

June.

This species
feet

is

said to attain the length of seven or eight

the specimen described measured but fourteen inches

the breadth of the head in the line of the temporal orifices

ANGEL-FISH.

409

whole breadth across the pectoral fins from

angle to angle seven inches and a half, breadth across the
head depressed,
ventral fins four inches and one quarter
three

inches,

margin
eyes on the upper surface,
distance between them one inch and one quarter ; temporal

rounded

at the anterior

orifices

very large, one inch

transversely, about as

and a half apart, elongated

behind the eyes as these are from

far

the anterior margin of the head

pectoral fins large, lateral,

triangular on the outer edge, and rounded

pointed
posteriorly; sides of the body of the fish parallel behind their
in front,

free

edges; ventral

fins

elongated,

tracted in breadth behind

rounded, con-

slightly

commencement of first

even with the posterior edge of the ventrals

dorsal fin

the second dor-

begins at the half of the distance between the commencement of the first dorsal and the caudal fin ; tail with an

sal fin

The mouth

above and below.

equal-sized triangular lobe

is

of the head ; the

very wide, opening on the anterior margin
external angles of each temangles of the mouth under the
poral orifice

teeth long and pointed

branchial apertures

sides of the fish most conelongated ; the parallelism of the

before the middle of
rather
orifice
anal
spicuous from below ;
the whole length ; the colour of all the under parts dirty

white

rough,

the surface smooth

all

the upper surface granulated,

of a dark mottled chocolate brown

a row of short

are ranged along the central line

spines, directed backwards,

of the back between the ventral

fins.

IK)

UA11D.K.

RAH DM.

C]I0^ DllOI>TERY(;ll.

THE ELECTRIC RAY.

COMMON CHAMP-FISH.

Torpedo
,,

XI

CRAMP RAY,

MB-FISH,

Cornwall.

CUVIER, Kegne An. t. ii. p. 369.

WII.LUGHBY, p. 81, D.
Cramp-Jish,

4.

BLOCK, pt. iv. pi. 122.

Electric Ray, PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 118, pi. 12.
DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 53.
Torpedo vulgaris, Common Cramp-fish, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 169, sp. 17.
Raia Torpedo,

LINNJEUS.

The disk of the body nearly circular ; pectoral fins

placed so far back as to be on the tail ; surface of the body
teeth small and sharp.
short, and rather thick

Generic Characters.
large

smooth

two dorsal
;

tail

THE

fins

earliest notices

writers were

of this fish on our coasts

made by Smith

in his

and afterwards by Pennant and Walsh

*

The

family of the

Rays

by English

History of Waterford,
;

but

or Skate.

as, according to

ELECTRIC HAY.
Baron Cuvier,

several species

have been included under the

name of the Raia Torpedo of Linnaeus,

British species

some

naturalist

doubtful, and

is still

who

is

411

it

name

the true

of the

remains therefore for

fortunate enough to obtain a British

specimen to determine the particular species of our coast.

Colonel Montagu, in his MS. notes, mentions having met
with two examples of the Torpedo
either of

them

is

The

given.

was taken at Torcross, where

it

first

but no description of
was of small size, and

was so rare as to be unknown

to the oldest of the fishermen of that place.

the notice

men

is

as follows

"

Of

the second,

I observed a very large speci-

that was taken on a Turbot-hook off the coast of

Ten-

was dead when disengaged from the hook,

or the fisherman would certainly have had a shock that would

by, in

Wales.

It

have made him remember the species again.

It appeared,

however, so rare an occurrence here, that no one knew the

fish,

which was exhibited

as

an extraordinary creature.

Its

weight was about one hundred pounds.""

The figure at the head of this subject was taken from a
small specimen which appears to be of the same species as
that figured

by Pennant

in the British

nant's plate, which exhibits in the

Zoology
two outside

but Pen-

figures the

under and upper surface of a female, the third and middle

male of smaller size, appears to have
figure being that of a
been copied from a larger print representing specimens taken
Mr.
on the sea-shore in the neighbourhood of La Rochelle.
Donovan's figure differs from that of Pennant in exhibiting

upper surface, with five distinct

also in its form and proportions.

a marbled appearance on

dark spots

The
stood
well

by
as

it differs

electrical

its

so well underpowers of the Torpedo are

the different names that have been applied to

by

the various

been published, that

it

it,

as

and voluminous accounts that have

is

unnecessary to repeat here what

412

RAIID.E.

The

has already appeared so often in print elsewhere.

situa-

tion of the apparatus or structure from which these

species

derive their extraordinary power

vations, one of which

indicated

is

by the two

ele-

placed on each outside of the eyes

is

and temporal orifices, and extending to the lateral external

rounded edges.
The apparatus occupies the whole of the
space between the upper and under surface of the body, and
is

composed, as shown by the figures of Walsh and Pennant,

of a great number of tubes arranged perpendicular to the

plane of the upper and under surfaces, which when exposed

by

much

a transverse section have very

The

portion of honeycomb.
tion,

and the structure

ed from the eighth

is

the appearance of a

tubes contain a mucous secre-

largely provided with nerves derivIt

pair.

is

said that

when

given, the convex part of the upper surface

pressed,

the sensation

is

then

is

the shock

is

gradually de-

and the convexity sud-

felt,

denly returns.

The whole

use of the electrical apparatus and power to

That

the fish can only be conjectured.

of defence,

is

very probable

ive fish to arrest

other powers

expressed

and obtain

inhabitants of the deep,

may be

is

that

it

as food

derived from

to deprive animals killed

by

it

means

serves as a

some of the more

also probable.

" One well-known

it

also enables a slow, inact-

and

it,

effect

active

Mr. Couch thinks

his opinion

is

thus

of the electric shock

is

of their organic irritability,*

and consequently to render them more readily disposed to

pass into a state of decomposition, in which condition the di-

more speedily and effectually

If any creature more than others might seem

gestive powers

a preparation of

its

food,

canal of whose intestine

is

it

is

the

act

upon them.

to require such

Cramp- Ray, the whole

not more than half as long as the

stomach ."
* The bodies of animals killed
by lightning do not become

stiff.

ELECTRIC RAY.
" So
long ago

413

as the time of Dioscorides, the

physician of

Anthony and Cleopatra, the shock of this

mended for medical purposes, and especially
head

and

this

may be

applied to the cure of gout

In

later times, it

was

the patient being directed to

his foot on the fish until the

knees.

was recom-

for pains of the

considered as the earliest record of the

application of electricity to medicine.

keep

fish

numbness extended

Baron Humboldt remarks,

to the

that the will of the fish

most strongly irritated, but only under the influence of the brain and heart.
When a fish was cut through the middle, the fore part of the
directs the effect to whatever part

body alone gave shocks."

But little of its habits

are

it feels

known

it is

said to prefer soft

and muddy ground, where its actions are slow and inert. It
is rare on the British coast ; but two or three species inhabit
the Mediterranean, and others have been found in various
parts of the world.

no description

who

is

Not being

certain of the British species,

ventured upon.

The

observer on our coast

obtains a specimen will find specific characters in the

Regne Animal, and

The

in the

Faune Fran^aise.

of Erith Church,
vignette below represents a view

414

Jt

AIID.K.

CHONDROPTERYGll.

LONG-NOSED SKATE.
SHAGREEN RAY.
Raia chagrined,

Shagreen Ray,

MONTAGU, Wern. Mem.

pi.

,,

aspera,
,,

chagrinea,

,,

mucronata,

,,

PENN.

Brit. Zool. vol.

,,

FLEM.

Brit.

,,

vol.

ii.

p.

420,

21.
iii.

p. 117.

An. p. 172, sp. 25.

JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 513,

Long-nosed Skate, COUCH'S,

sp.

202.

MS.

Form of the body rhomboidal, very much depressed ;

long and slender, generally armed on the upper surface with one or more
rows of sharp spines two small fins near the end of the tail, and sometimes a
Generic Characters.

tail

small terminal or caudal

face of the head

fin

nostrils,

the eyes and temporal orifices on the upper surmouth, and branchial apertures, beneath ; teeth

flattened, lozenge- shaped, the inner angle elongated in old males.

THE RAYS,

or Skate, as they are popularly called, are

remarkable for the rhomboidal form and consequent breadth

LONG-NOSED SKATK,

415

of their bodies, contrasted with their long narrow

tails, fre-

quently furnished with two and sometimes three small

fins,

and mostly armed with one or more rows of sharp spines

The whole body is very much dealong the whole length.
pressed ; the great breadth of it

is

produced by the expansion

of what are considered as the pectoral

of which

is

fins,

The Skate may

and thus protected

the expanded anterior margin of each pectoral

nostrils,

fish.

almost be considered as having no true head

or neck, the sides of both being included

by

the base of each

equal to the whole length of the side of the

The

fin.

mouth, branchial and anal apertures, are on the

the eyes and temporal orifices on the upper
;

under surface

The

surface.

derably, and

From

species.

adapted

texture of the skin of the

body

varies consi-

be referred to when describing the different

will

the peculiar form of the body, admirably

to exist at the

bottom of the water, the Skate may

with more propriety be called a Flatfish than any species of

Their mode of progression is not very
the Pleuronectida.
it is, when
they are not alarmed, pereasily described
formed with a slight motion of the pectoral fins, something
I once heard a North- country
between a slide and a swim.
:

fisherman call
of

its

way

it

sluddering.

When a

Skate makes the best

either to gain a prize in the matter of food, or to

muscular exertion
escape an enemy, great

mode

of defending

effectual

itself, as described

inflict

The

evident.
is

very

the point of the nose and the base of the tail are
toward each other ; the upper surface of the

bent upwards
body being then concave, the
rections

is

by Mr. Couch,

over

it,

tail

is

lashed about in

all di-

and the rows of sharp spines frequently

severe wounds.

Some

sexual peculiarities require particular notice.

woodcut introduced overleaf represents

The

in the left-hand portion

an inside view of one-half of the mouth of an adult male

KAHH.E.

416

tliat

on the right, an inside view of one-half of the mouth of

an equally adult female of the Thornback Ray.

While both
are young, the teeth in both sexes are alike broad and flat ;
but as the male acquires age and sexual power, the teeth that
are nearest the centre begin to alter in form and become
pointed, as will be seen on close examination, by an elongation of the internal angle

the points being directed back-

all

Some

wards or towards the throat.

exceptions to this appa-

rent rule will be pointed out.

Another sexual
the Sharks
the males.

is

peculiarity in

which the Skate resemble

the cylindrical appendage to each ventral

The

figure at the

head of

this subject is

fin in

taken

which no appendages
exist
the second figure of the true Skate, the next in succession, is from the under surface of a young male, and small
from the under surface of a female,

in

appendages lying on each side close to the tail may be seen ;

and even in very young specimens, not more than three
inches

in

breadth, the

sexes

may be

determined by the

constant existence of these appendages in the males.

figure of the third species

an

adult

they bear

their

they are usually called claspers. This third figure

of the Sharp-nosed

mon

The

taken from the upper surface of

and exhibits these appendages of much

use may be inferred from the name

male,

greater length

is

to males

Ray

exhibits also other peculiarities com-

these are the clusters of spines outside the

LONG-NOSED SKATE.
eye and temporal

orifice

on

417

and the regular rows

eacli side,

of spines towards the upper outer surface of the pectoral

The

fins.

elongation of the central teeth, the development of the

and the appearance and growth of the

and rows of spines on the upper surface at the parts
pointed out, may be considered analogous to those sexual
distinctions which exist in many species of birds and mamcylindrical appendages,

clusters

which have been called by John Hunter and

These spines on the
others, secondary sexual characters.

mals, and

upper surface of the males occur in the different species of

Skate with smooth skins, as well as in the others, and are
entirely independent
cuticle

more

of those spinous productions of the

which distinguish two British

particularly noticed hereafter.

species,

It

may

voracious
generally, that the Skate are very

and

will

be

here be stated
their food con-

of any sort of fish that they can catch, with mollusca,

sists

So powerful

testaceous or naked, arid Crustacea.

are their

muscles and jaws, that they are able to crush the strong shell
As in the Sharks, the females are
of a crab with ease.
larger than the males.

surface of the Skate at the head of this subject

The under

circular
presents two central
below the transverse mouth

bounded

branchial apertures on each outside

The

gills are placed.

heart

is

cavities,

intestines,

laterally

by the

and

is

The young

five

is

and other

the abdomen,
viscera.

The

the two

and strong transverse

the situation of which is indicated.

protected

by

a broad

are produced towards the latter part of spring,

during summer.

fish in thin

just

within this cavity the

below

in the centre between

placed immediately

cartilaginous arch,

or

circular cavity

and contains the stomach,

The upper one

cavities.
is

horny

already described

They

cases, like

are deposited

those of

by the parent

some of the Sharks

but they are more square in form, as

418

KAIID.r.

evince.
These horny
Rays, like those of the Sharks, are also
and on the coast of Cumberland bear the

the representation here

cases

of the

called purses

name

inserted will

of Skate-barrows, from the resemblance in shape to

a four-handed machine

by which two men

carry goods.

As

the young Skate increases in size, the angular parts of the

body curve over

for a time,

provide for itself in a

to

the fish ultimately escapes

till

much wider but more dangerous

region.

The

eight species of true

Rays which

are found on the

coasts of this country will be arranged here in

the

first

more

two divisions

of which contains four species, having the snout

or less elongated

and sharp

the second division contains

also four species with blunt noses, the

two

last

of which are

furnished with numerous sharp spines on various parts of the

surface of the body,

and thus lead

armed short-nosed species which

The

to the

more powerfully

will follow.

Skate, as food, are held in very different degrees of

LONG-NOSED SKATE.
estimation
large

in

London,

consumed, and the

quantities are

delicate

and well-flavoured

though

caught in considerable

nets, the flesh

In

different places.

419
particularly,

flesh is considered

but on some parts of the coast,

numbers, both by lines and

seldom devoted to any purpose beyond that

is

of baiting pots for catching crabs and lobsters.

Skate are in the best condition for the table during auIn spring, and in the early part of sumwinter.

tumn and

mer, they are usually maturing eggs or young, and their

flesh is then soft and
woolly.

The Long-nosed

Skate

immediately distinguished from

is

any other Skate found on the British coast, not only

by the
by the distance between its
most extreme point and the transverse line of the mouth ; cha-

great length of the nose, but also

racters particularly observable in comparison with the species

next

The

in

order,

snout

is

with which

much

very

most assimilates in colour.

it

produced, narrow and sharp, slen-

der as far as the eyes, from whence the body dilates gradually
to

its

greatest

breadth, which

whole fength of the body and

On

width.

and of a

tail

the upper surface the

light lead colour

the

behind the centre

is

the

one-third longer than the

body

tail

is

slightly roughened,

rather

more rough, with

a row of large crooked spines on each side of the central line,

and

this species is observed

these two lateral rows

never to have more or less than

the small fins on the

ed from each other, the second about

The under

end.

surface

is

its

tail

not far remov-

own length from

the

a dirty greyish white, marked

with dusky specks like the true Skate next to be described ;

is thinner in substance than either that or the
but the

body

Sharp-nosed Skate

row

the nostrils are lobed

the

mouth

nar-

the teeth in old males sharp, with frequently nine or

ten spines above the eyes

tubercular spines

on the snout two rows of minute

behind the head seven or eight spines

420

KAIID.E.

ranged in a line along the dorsal ridge

towards

tlie

outer

upper edge of the pectoral fins on each side are the usual
rows of sharp hooked spines, and close to the

pendent

claspers.

Montagu having

the long

tail

figured in the

Werne-

upper surface of a male,

the figure here given represents the under surface of a fe-

rian

Memoirs,

as referred to, the

male.

By

some of the West-country fishermen

called the

Dun Cow

it

and Sand-launce.

to feed on Sand-eels

Couch,

it

the winter

frequents deep water, and

:

fishermen state

when hooked.

may

this

attains considerable size,

that

it

species

and

is

is

said

According to Mr.

is

not caught through

is

exceedingly violent

here state generally, that the greater

part of the Skate brought to market are taken in the trawlnets.

SKATE.

CHONDROPTERYGIL

EA11DJE.

THE SKATE.
BLUE SKATE, and GREY SKATE, Scotland.
TINKER, Lyme Regis.
Raia

batis,

LINN/EUS.

La

,,

laevis

batis,

BLOCH,

pt.

iii.

pi. 79, female.

Raie cendrte, CUVIER, Regne An.

WILLUGHBY,

sen cinerea,

The Skate,

PENN.
FLEM.

t. ii.

p.

398.

p. 69, C. 5, male.

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

p. 111.

An. p. 171, sp. 24.

JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 510,
Brit.

sp. 199.

COUCH'S MS.

THIS

species,

to distinguish

it

which

is

frequently called the True Skate,

from the Thornback and Homelyn, which

are also popularly called Skate,

as either, but

is still

is

not so

commonly taken

better than either as an article of food.

HAIID.E.

appears to be found

It

of Scotland, where

>ast

From

Skate.

among

called

is

it

the Orkneys, and on the

Blue Skate and Grey

thence southward as far as Kent, and again

westward to Cornwall,

it

found along the whole line of

is taken from Cork
up the east

is

In Ireland, the Skate

coast.

coast to Antrim,

and from thence northward and westward

to

Londonderry and Donegal.

of

its

grey colour,

dusky

it is

At Lyme

Regis, on account

called the Tinker.

In this species both sexes when adult have sharp teeth, the
points beginning to elongate

by the time the body of the

fish

has attained the breadth of twelve or fourteen inches.

The

females are generally called Maids

tinguish

and fishermen

dis-

the females of the three species of most frequent

occurrence by the names of Skate Maid, Thornback Maid,

and Homelyn Maid, frequently calling the old male of the

Skate with his two -long appendages the Three-tailed Skate.
In each of these species the females are observed to be

more numerous

as well as larger than the males.

much

Pennant

mentions having seen a Skate that weighed two hundred

pounds

different

very voracious, and Mr.

it is

species of

fish,

Couch has known

besides Crustacea,

stomach of a single individual.

There
that the true Skate produces its young

is

five

taken from the

reason to believe

later in

the season

than either the Thornback or the Homelyn.

The
three

treme

breadth of the body

is

to its length nearly as four to

the form of the nose conical

lateral

angle of each pectoral

fin

the lines from the ex-

being nearly straight,

backward to a point on the

two inches below the end of the ventral fins, would form

similar lines taken in a direction

tail

a true

rhomb

the eyes are slightly elevated above the line

of the upper surface of the body, with a short, hard tubercle

in the front

of each, and a second on the inner side of each

the irides yellow

the temporal orifices valvular, and placed

SKATE.
behind

close

423

the dorsal ridge of the body without spines

near the origin of the ventral fins

till

then commence a single

row on the centre, reaching along the tail as far as the first of
the two small fins, all the points of the spines directed backwards

one spine between the two small dorsal

spines

On

fins.

sides of the tail of a female of small size there were

no

the

lateral

but in a young male of the same size, there were

on each side, the points of which were

several lateral spines

directed

forwards,

The

this species.

and

tail

and are

in

that respect characteristic of

colour of the upper surface of the

greyish brown

the pectoral fins tinged with reddish brown

those behind

the angles brownish black, darker than the body

on the under surface

is

body

the margins anterior to the angles of

the colour

sooty white, with dark lines in vari-

ous directions, and numerous blue specks with small sharp

among them over the surface. The

half the width of the mouth in advance

points disposed

nostrils

are valvular,

of each

of

its

angles

the

cies are sharp in

mouth

rather wide

the teeth in this spe-

both sexes when adult, the inner angles of

the central teeth beginning to elongate in specimens

when

they are about twelve inches in breadth across the body.

I may here add that the true Skate, the subject of the present article, the Long-nosed Skate which precedes

it,

and the

Sharp-nosed Skate which is next to be described, are, in

some localities, included under the general term of Skate,

from their similarity

in colour.

K All O.K.

CHOM)ROPTERYG11.

RA11D&.

jjjftjfbi^

i
THE SHARP-NOSED RAY.
WHITE SKATE,
llaia

oiyrhynchus, Sharp-nosed Ray,

,,

,,

THIS
figure

snout,

,,

,,

,,

,,

species, says

is

taken,

by

"

MONTAGU, Wern. Mem.

PENN.
FLEM.

Brit. Zool.vol.
Brit.

An.

JENYNS, Man.
Coucn's MS.

Burton Skate,

,,

,,

BURTON SKATE,

Scotland.

Cornwall.
vol.

iii.

may be

easily recognised

white colour on the lower surface.

Rays

heavier."

for

though

common

423

511,sp.200.

Mr. Couch, from whose drawing the

by

the snout to the extremity of the expansion, and

British

p.

21.
p. 171, sp.

Brit. Vert.p.

the waved line of the margin of the

exceed the

ii.

p. 113.

in length

Skate,

its

It

is

its

sharp

body from

by

its

pure

the largest of the

and breadth

it

may

not

renders
superior thickness

it

SHARP-NOSED RAY.
Colonel Montagu,
quoted, says, by
is

species
fish

Wernerian Memoirs already

the

in

425

way of further

distinction, the snout in this

slender, the lateral margins in a moderately-sized

running nearly parallel to each other for three or four

The

inches at the extremity.

skin

is

smooth, with the ex-

ception of the spines on the upper surface, peculiar to the

males, as

shown

in the figure

the colour a plain brown with-

out spots or lines, and never so dark as the Skate

which

scribed, with

it

is

of the males, according to a specimen of the

me by Mr. Couch,

kindly sent to

are longer,

and sharper than those of any other species

opportunity of examining.

The

tail

is

last

The

sometimes confounded.

de-

teeth

mouth very

more pointed,
I have had an

armed with three

rows of spines.

Mr. Couch

states

that the

taken throughout the year

smaller-sized specimens are

but those which are larger keep

summer and autumn.

in deep water, and are

only taken in

The French
is

are great consumers of Skate,

their favourite fish

Lent

their boats

to purchase Skate,

come

and

this species

to

Plymouth during
which they preserve fresh and moist

during the run back to their

own

coast

by keeping them

covered with wet sand.

This species

the

is

Scotland generally

White Skate

and

is

of the Orkneys, and of

said to have been taken

on the

south-east coast of Ireland.

It

is

doubtful whether this species be the oxyrhynchus of

the older authors

Bloch, part
authors

iii.

it

is

certainly not

plate 80, which

is

is

R. chardon of other

a species with a short nose, and further remarkable

for the intense black colour of its

there

the

the oxyrhynchus of

upper surface, and which

reason to believe has been taken once in Cornwall

but the specimen had been too much mutilated before

Couch saw
VOL.

II.

it

to enable

him

to determine correctly.

2 F

Mr

11

A 111). K.

CHONDROPTERYGII.

THE BORDERED RAY.

Ruiu marginata, Bordered Ray, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 172, sp. 27.
JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 512,

THE BORDERED RAY,

dark marginal edge of
Liverpool,

Brighton,

its

and

as

it

is

called from the broad

pectoral fins, has been taken at

Weymouth it has
M. Noel and
;

taken at Dieppe, and noticed by

It

is

also

been

Lacepede.

a well-known species in the Mediterranean, described

by M. de
Risso.

sp. 201.

Blainville,

But

little

attain a large size.

is

by the Prince of Musignano, and M.

known of its habits, and it does not

M.

Risso states that the flesh

is

con-

sidered pretty good.

I avail
myself,

by permission, of Mr. Jcnyns

description

BORDERED RAY.
of this species,

427

taken from a specimen obtained at

mouth by Professor Henslow.

" Total
fifteen inches
length

six

lines

Wey-

length of the

head from the end of the snout to the spiracles behind the
eyes, three inches six lines ; of the tail from the vent to its
extremity, seven inches nine lines

greatest breadth across

The

the pectorals, eleven inches three lines.

total length

M.

de Blainville's specimen was two feet.

The form
rhomboidal ; the transverse diameter rather more than oneof

third greater than the

length

the

vent

snout

elongated,

from the end of the snout to

projecting

from

considerably

between the pectorals, terminating in a sharp point, with

the lateral margins nearly parallel for the last quarter of
their

length

mouth moderately wide

teeth numerous,

closely

somewhat quadrilateral

set,

in

several

at the base, each

jaws transverse

rows, roundish or

terminating in a

nostrils in a line with the corners of the mouth,

and rather more than half-way between them and the upper
margins of the pectorals ; a channel from the nostrils to the

sharp point

mouth, covered by a membranous flap

both large
skin perfectly smooth above
:

eyes and spiracles

and beneath

also,

excepting along the anterior margins of the pectorals and

the surface of the snout, which are set with very minute
spines and denticles

one large spine above each eye, inclining backwards, and another smaller one behind each eye
no spines on any part of the back, but three rows on the
:

one occupying the middle ridge, the two others the

the spines on these rows strong and sharp, and mostly
;
tail scarcely longer than the
inclining backwards
body,
tail,

sides

rather stout, with

depressed,
of equal

form,

of a caudal

two moderately-sized

nearly contiguous

scarcely the

finlets

rudiment

pectorals broad, with the anterior margins hol-

lowed out, and not prolonged beyond the basal half of the
2 F 2

428
snout

11

ID. K.

Ge-

ventrals moderate, deeply notched or bilobated.

neral

colour of the

upper part

reddish

brown, somewhat

paler on the pectorals, with a faint indication of round whitish spots

beneath white, with a broad border

all

round,

especially beneath the angles of the pectorals, of dark red-

dish brown, approaching to

dusky

tail

entirely black.""

Since the preceding portion of this article was printed, I

have received a specimen of the Bordered

Regis,

for

which

am

Kay from Lyme

indebted to the kindness of Lord

Cole.

The

vignette below represents a view taken near

ford market.

Hunger-

HOMELY X RAY.

429

CHONDROPTERYGU.

RA11D&.

THE HOMELYN RAY.

THE HOME, SAND RAY, AND SPOTTED RAY.
Raia maculata,
,,

miraletus,

,,

rubus,

,,

oculata,

,,

maculata,

Sand Ray, MONTAGU, Wern. Mem. vol.

Mirror Ray, DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 103.

ii.

p.

,,
,,
Rough Ray, ,,
pi. 20.
Mirror Ray, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 172, sp. 26.
Spotted Kay, JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 514,

426.

sp. 203.

THIS smooth-skinned spotted Ray, called Raia lavis

and Homelyn so long ago as the time of Merrett,* and one
of our most common species along the line of our southern
been so well distinguished or so clearly denned
by some authors as its obvious characters admit and require.
coast, has not

The

males, though they have, like the females, a perfectly

* Pinax

Rerum Naturalium Britannicarum.

London, 1667,

p. 185.

430

KA1ID.E.

smooth

skin,

have also spines about the eyes, rows of small

hooks on the upper surface of the pectoral fins, one row of

spines along the dorsal ridge, with one on each side a little

below the commencement of the dorsal

series,

and when

full-

Thus
grown, with three rows of strong spines on the tail.
rubus:
male
has
been
called
but
those
the
armed,
extensively
who quote

authors
part

iii.

pi.

a synonyme the R. rubus of Bloch,

as

84, have been misled by the

German

ichthyolo-

whose figure proves his fish to have been a male of the

Thornback, of which his plate 83 is the female.

gist,

The Homelyn

of our coast has been best

made out and

by Mr. Donovan, Colonel Montagu, and more

by the Rev. Mr. Jenyns, under the different names

described
recently

here quoted.

This species is liable to some occasional variation in the

manner in which the upper surface of the body is spotted
;

the spots are sometimes numerous, at others sparingly distri-

buted
seen

it

have seen

moved from
the

skin,

smooth.
trivial

it

quite free from spots, and have also

with only one eye-like spot on each side, not far rethe line of the back.

independent

These

of

the

have mentioned that

accessory

organs,

is

quite

variations have given rise to the different

names miraletus, oculata,

have been applied to

it

by

lavis,

and maculata, which

different authors,

from the appear-

ance of the particular specimens examined.

Colonel Montagu, referring

Mr. Donovan, had no doubt

to the miraletus

and rubus of

that they were both identical

own maculata, since, being a common species on the

Devonshire coast, he had ample opportunities of seeing it
under its different appearances.
with his

Mr. Donovan has given

Ray and
trivial

of the

Homelyn,

term rubus

correct figures both of the Mirror

as quoted, the latter

under the

but he believed with Montagu, that they

HOMELYN RAY.
were not distinct species.

431

Mr. Donovan had noticed two

similar eye-like spots on several small examples of the true

Skate (batis)

and

I possess

young specimens of the Thorn-

back (clavata) with the same sort of ocellated

lateral spots,

and have seen many others of the three most common species.
Mr. Donovan's remark accords so closely with my own
view, that I insert

"

it

here in his

Although we present

Linnseus

this

own words

hesitation at least that

we can

the

as

with perfect confidence,

it

Raia miraletus

is

of

not without some

offer it as a distinct species.

In every respect, except the ocellar spot on the wings, it perfectly agrees with the Homerling Ray, and may possibly
prove, on further examination of other specimens, to be only

a lusus, or remarkable variety of that fish."

The

head of

figure given at the

this subject exhibits the

of which
eye-like lateral spots, from the possession

been

called

miraletus and oculata

surface of the

skin,

and

numerous smaller

its

has

it

the smoothness of the

spots, suffi-

The words
Itevis and maculata.
ciently warrant the terms
oculata and l&vis were combined by some of the older authors,

and probably referred to

The Homelyn and

similar in shape,

this species.

the Thornback, which are not very dis-

though otherwise perfectly

distinct, are the

two species most common in the London market

in the trawl-nets.
proportion of both are taken

The form

is

rhomboidal

a large

the diameter of the body about

one-fourth greater than the length the nose short and blunt,
in
its projection beyond the outline of the pectorals but small
:

a young male specimen of twelve inches in breadth the sesexual characters begin to appear ; there are numer-

condary

ous small spines about the nose, and some extending along
of the anterior edge of the pectoral fins ; two or three

part

behind each eye, with rough

prominent spines before and

432

KAIID.E.

granulations on the surface of the skin before and between

them

the

characters that distinguish the

more conspicuous

The

males have been already noticed.

orifices are large

eves and temporal

the central row of dorsal spines

commence

above the middle of the body, with one strong spine on each
side of

it

about the middle of the body and in the line of

greatest diameter

extend along the centre of the

side of

it

in adult

on each side

is

The
reddish

with a row along each

tail,

specimens; in young examples the

On

not complete.

with two spines between

central line

its

the series of spines on the dorsal ridge

and on the

tail

the

tail

the points of

all

series

two small

are

fins,

the spines on the

directed backwards.

colour of the upper surface

is

a pale yellowish or

brown, with spots of darker brown, subject to the

variations that have been already pointed out

the under surface plain white

the skin smooth

mouth near the end of the nose

the

mouth

the colour of
;

nostrils

and

transverse, rather

says, both sexes of the maculata have sharp

small.

Montagu

teeth

but this refers to examples that are perfectly adult

young males of small

and females when

size,

larger,

have the

and very probably also in old females, from the operation of those laws which influence the
secondary sexual characters, the teeth become pointed.
teeth blunt

The

in old males,

term Sand

Ray

is

in

some

localities

exclusively ap-

plied to the males of this species, from their greater roughness.

SMALL-EYED RAY.

433

CHONDROPTERYG11.

RAIIDM.

THE SMALL-EYED RAY,

OR PAINTED RAY.
Raia microcellata

,,

,,

,,

,,

Small-eyed Ray,

,,

,,

Painted Ray,

MONTAGU, Wern. Mem. vol.ii. p. 430.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 171, sp. 23.
JENYNS, Man.
COUCH'S MS.

Brit. Vert. p. 515, sp. 204.

COLONEL MONTAGU and Mr. Couch

only British naturalists
it

appear to be the

who have obtained

this species

must be considered a rare one, since the

gentlemen saw but two examples, and the

seen one.

The

very small size of the eye

to be a remarkable

The

and striking

and

stated

only

by both

distinction.

length of the specimen obtained

thirty-three inches and a half,

first

latter has
is

of these

by Mr. Couch was

of which the

tail

measured

434

KAIID.F.

thirteen inches

breadth across the

fins

twenty-four inches

the eyes three inches apart, and five inches and a half from

The

the snout.

waved

the margin

rounded

body much resembles

outline of the

of the Thorn back,

R. clavata

snout a

little

that

prominent,
behind

to the extremity of the expansion,

the eyes very small

temporal

orifices large

the

body covered with rough granulations, but altogether without spines, either on

its

surface or about the eyes, except

a row that runs along two-thirds of the back, and down the

middle of the

to the fins

tail

an irregular row of similar

hooked spines extends along each side of the tail along the
tail is a border on each side, like a membranous fin ; two
;

rounded

towards the end of the

fins

tail,

somewhat separated,

the hindmost one inch from the end, with which

tinuous by means of an elevated ridge.

of

colours this

its

The upper

is

surface

spines.

tered,

first

The

con-

a light grey, with a lighter line running

disk

is

tail,

enclosing the central

beautifully and regularly quar-

three white lines enclosing each other,

by

passing from

is

the most beautiful of the British Rays.

is

along the back and middle of the

row of

it

In the distribution

and

near the eye circularly to near the extremity

of the expansion, the convexity of the arch inwards, and

consequently the shorter line nearer the margin ; on the

hinder edge of the disk, formed by the pectorals, are two
other lines passing from behind the expansion circularly to

the neighbourhood of the abdominal

fins,

the convexity of

on the more central part of the disk are

;
a few whitish spots, those of both sides answering to each
the arch inwards

other

the extreme edge of the disk posterior to

expansion, and

margin of the

tail,

are

a prominent expanded
inches

teeth

its

greatest

also the abdominals, as well as the fin-like

flat,

The nostrils have

edged with white.
width of the mouth three

membrane

like those of

the

Thornback

mucous

SMALL-EYED RAY.
orifices

on the under surface numerous, and

with a pin

Such

435

Mr. Couch

the description

is

as if

punctured

the colour of the skin a pure white.

gives of his specimen,

which was a female, and which was taken by a line on the 28th
of January 1835.
In it numerous eggs were found, some of
which had attained their
fixes

full

growth

a circumstance which

the period for the production of the young in this

species.

Montagu says both his examples were females, resembling

his R. maculata in form
Mr. Couch refers to the Thornback
;

for shape

the figure here given

drawing, and

it

will

is

taken from Mr. Couches

be observed that

derable similarity of outline.

all

three have consi-

few extracts from Monta-

The

gu's description will exhibit further resemblance.

portions by measurement

are very nearly alike

surface pale brown, with a few scattered spots

lighter colour

with minute

pro-

the upper

and

lines of a

on the margins of the wings ; the skin covered

the eyes
spines, which make it feel rough
:

remarkably small, at once pointing out a material distinction ;

those of the specimen described did not exceed half an inch
in

diameter from the opposite angles of the eyelids

the

R. maculata^ and most

nearly double that diameter

on the

tail,

whereas

others of similar size, have eyes

:

one row of small hooked spines

continuing along the dorsal ridge to the head.

Colonel Montagu's specimens being younger than that obtained and described by Mr. Couch, had not acquired the
lateral

marginal rows of spines on the

smooth and white

the

tail

broad edge that felt rough to the finger as

from the mouth.

the under part

teeth obtusely cuneiform,

it

with a

was withdrawn

436

KA1ID.E.

CJIONDIWPTKKYGII.

KAIIDX.

THE THORNBACK.
liaia clavata,

Thornback, WILLI-GIICY,

Y vn

,,

,,

LJNN.II>.

,,

,,

Thornback, BLOCH,

Rough

,,

rubus,

,,

clarata* Thornback,

,,
,,

best

pt.

iii.

\Vern.

t. ii.

male.

Mem.

Brit. Zool. vol.

iii.

exhibits

the species

rough,' and

is

sp. 205.

very marked

also a very

common

of Rays,

416.

p. 122, pi. 14, female.

COUCH'S MS.

considers to be derived from the

'

vol. ii.p.

,,

and being

which means

p.398.

83, female.

pi. 84,

,,

,,

pi.

,,

known of

Couch

74

p.

Regne An.

MONTAGU,

THE THORNBACK
characters,

n,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 26, female.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 170, sp. 19.
JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 516,

,,

,,

Rail,

PENN.

,,

,,

fish,

distinguishing
is

one of the

term which Mr.

Anglo-Saxon

'

Reoh,

particularly appropriate to the

THORNBACK.

437

Thornback, which, on the Cornish

is

coast,

The Thornback

distinguished as the Ray.

is

preeminently

also taken

good quality of the

flesh of this fish,

Maid,

is

the

and the immense quan-

taken every year, the Thornback, and

tity

com-

From

monly both on the coast of Scotland and Ireland.

its

female, the

one of the most valuable of the species.

Mr. Couch

and

says that the flesh takes salt well,

affords the poor fishermen

and

meals when stormy weather prevents

The Thornback

supplies.

in this preserved state

their families

is

many wholesome

them obtaining

fresh

taken in the greatest abund-

ance during spring and summer, because the fish then fre-

quent sandy bottoms in shallower water and nearer the shore

than usual, for the purpose of depositing their eggs ; but the
flesh of the

Thornback

so firm as in

ticed,

at this season

autumn and

other

not,

winter.

November.

condition for table about

is

It

before no-

as
is

in the best

Their food

is

various

fish, particularly Flatfish, testaceous mollusca, and crus-

tacea.

Bloch's figure, plate 83, represents the female of this speunder the name of R. clavata ; and the fish next in

cies,

succession in that work,

species, but

is

nymes quoted

The

called

plate 84,

are those of clavata.

figure here given was taken from a young male mea-

little

undulated

produced
;

The

point of the nose

is

the anterior margins of the pectorals are

the outline behind each lateral angle of the pec-

torals nearly straight, or slightly

poral

the male of the same

R. rubus, although most of the syno-

suring fourteen inches in breadth.

but

is

orifices rather large,

rounded

the eyes and tem-

with two or three strong hooked

and behind them. The whole upper surface

of the body rough with small points, which when examined

spines both before

with a lens have stellated bases.

Besides these, there are dis-

tributed over this upper surface numerous nail-like tubercular

438

HAIID.E.

spines, each of which has an oval osseous base

the margin of

the base entire, with a central projecting crooked shank or

spine directed backward.

Two

of these broadly-based spines

occupy the central ridge of the nose

others, to the

number

of thirteen or fourteen, are distributed over each side with

some

The

regularity,

and similarly disposed on the two

sides.

dorsal ridge of unequally-sized spines begins a short dis-

tance between and behind the temporal orifices, one or two

small spines occurring between each of the larger ones

single line of spines extends to the origin of the tail,

three rows of spines begin

and

a series of powerful weapons.

membranous

fins

small dilatation.

are continued along

The

tail is

it,

this

where

forming

furnished with two

on the upper central ridge, and ends with a

The

prevailing colour of the upper part

is

brown, with numerous lighter-coloured spots, and sometimes,

as has been noticed already, with one larger rounded spot on
each pectoral.

Young

males and females have fewer spines

on the body than old males, and both sexes attain some size
before they put forth any ; they have frequently also but one

row of spines along the

is

tail.

The

colour of the under side

pure white, with a few spines only on each

side.

The

teeth

of the adult male in this species are decidedly different from

those of the female, as shown in the woodcut at the top of

page 416

male

fish,

same

size,

left hand being from a

from
a female fish of the
right

those represented on the

and those on the

and representing one-half of the inside of the

as seen from behind.

mouth of each

STARRY RAY.

439

CHONDROPTERYGII.

UAIWM.

THE STARRY RAY.

Raia radiata,

Starry Ray,

,,
,,

,,

,,

THIS

,,

DON. Brit. Fish. pi. 114, female.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 170, sp. 20.
JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 517,

sp.

206.

very beautiful and well-marked species was

known by Mr. Donovan

in

his

made

History of British Fishes,

and a very good coloured representation of it is added in

that work, which will prevent its being confounded with any
other.

Whether

this

species was really

known

to

other authors

descriptions do not afford unequivocal proof, and I

have therefore only quoted those synonymes which I know
their

to refer to this fish.

Mr. Donovan's specimen, which was

not more than four inches across and seven inches in length,

440

RAI1D.E.

was caught on the north coast of Britain, and was

nicated to

commu-

him by Mr. Stuchbury.

Dr. Fleming, in his History of British Animals, quotes

synonyme to radiata the R. Fullonica of the Fauna of

as a

Greenland, by Fabricius

and

probably a Northern

is

it

I have seen having

been received, one from Berwick Bay, and two from the
Frith of Forth.
The first was a female, for which I am

the only three examples of

species,

it

indebted to the kindness of Dr. George Johnston, and from

In 1835,
example the figure here given was derived.
Dr. Parnell sent me from Edinburgh two examples, a male
this

and a female, which had been obtained

obligingly permitted

me

to retain the

in

male

the Forth, and

for

my own

col-

On comparing
marked accordingly.
these three examples with Mr. Donovan's figure, no doubt
remained that they were of the same species.
which came

lection,

The

habits of this fish are but

little

known, and the

figure

here given being that of a female, I shall closely describe

the male, which was nineteen inches long from the point of
the nose to the

breadth

end of the

and

fourteen

inches

in

the snout but little produced, almost falling

in

tail,

with the line of the anterior margin

the lateral expansion

of the pectorals and their posterior margins rounded

pelvic fins rather large

the

the central ridge of the nose, and a

great portion of the pectoral fins or wings, are covered with

asperities
alike,

of different sizes, but

the fonn of which are

all

being a single spine bent backwards, arising from a

stellated base of

many

radii

metrical, and about equal

eyes are blue and rather

these appear to be nearly

in

number on the two

sides

sym:

the

large, placed about half-way be-

tween the central transverse cartilaginous arch of the body

and the end of the snout

before each eye one large spine,

and two large spines behind, with several smaller ones along

STARRY RAY.

441

the inner edge of each eye

;
temporal orifices rather large ;
one large spine above the line of the transverse cartilaginous
arch, one upon the centre of it in the line of the dorsal ridge,

and two spines at each lateral extremity of the transverse

below this cross-bar commences a series of equally

arch

large spines on the dorsal ridge, which extends to the

on the

tail

first fin

between these large spines are a few smaller ones,

side the central row of large spines is another

and on each

row of spines about half the

numerous,
tail

but

size

of the large ones, but

down

forming three distinct rows

all

of them, though differing in

size,

more

the back and

have the same

character in respect to the beautifully radiated form of the

base from which the ascending spine arises

of the body independently of this arming

is

the upper surface

perfectly

smooth ;

the colour pale brown, with a tinge of orange brown.

On

the under surface the colour

skin soft and smooth

neous valve

the

is

uniformly white

the

the nostrils large, defended by a cuta-

mouth

rather small

the teeth in the male

with the internal angle elongated and sharp, and in a second

specimen, a female of ten inches only in length, the teeth are

becoming pointed.

The

sexual appendages in the male here described are half

as long as the tail

and

distinctions, are well

as these, as well as the other sexual

marked

the

early acquisition

am

of these characters, that this species

does not attain a very large size.

the
pi.

the

Raia
D.

5,

This species

asteria aspera Rondeletii of

f.

4,

is

probably

Willughby,

and the Raia aspera of M. de

Faun. Franc.; but

among

which only measures

induced to believe, from

in this fish,

fourteen inches in breadth, I

p. 73,

Blainville, in

I have not included these

names

the synonymes at the head of the subject, for the

want of that additional certainty which good

have supplied.
VOL. ii.

figures

2 G

would

442

HAIID.E.

RA1U).

CHONUROPTERYG11.

THE STING RAY.

COMMON TRYGON,
Trygon pastinaca, La Pastinaque,
,,

Pusthtaca

FIRE FLAIRE.

CUVIEU, Regne An.

Raia pastinaca,
,,

LINNSUS.

BLOCII, pt.

Sting Ray,

PENN.

DON.
,,

t. ii.

p.

Common Trygon, FLEM. Brit. An. p. 170, sp.

marina, Rondeletii,
WILLUGHBY, p. 67, C. 3.
,,

,,

,,

Generic Characters.

,,

Head

portion of the disk of the body

iii.

399.
18.

pi. 82.

Brit. Zool. vol.

p. 125.

iii.

Brit. Fish. pi. 99.

JENYNS, Man.
enclosed laterally

somewhat rounded

Brit. Vert. p. 518, sp. 207.

by the pectorals
;

tail

armed near

with a long and sharp flattened spine, serrated on both edges

tail slender, without fins, and ending in a point
teeth small.

posterior
its

origin

the rest of the

FROM

the

Rays whose bodies

are

more or

less

covered and

protected with sharp spines supported on broad bases, and

which spines, continued along the upper surface of the

tail,

STING RAY.

443

are defensively or offensively used, the transition to those

Rays which

species of

are

more powerfully armed

still

is

easy and natural.

The

Ray was well known

many curious notions of

Sting

tertained
its

spine

and

to the ancients,

who

en-

the power and venom of

noticed as an inhabitant of

this fish is also

the shores of this country so long ago as the days of Merrett

At

and Sibbald.

present

it

is

more frequently taken on the

southern coast than elsewhere, from Sussex even as far west

as

the county of Cork in Ireland.

It appears, however,

otherwise to occupy an extensive range, being found in the

Mediterranean, and from thence to a high degree of north

latitude

on the coast of Norway.

Colonel Montagu, in his notes, mentions obtaining a spe-

cimen, taken at Hastings, which was presented to him by the

Rev. Mr. Whitear.

" At the base of the

bony

process

was a smaller one ready to replace the

original if by accident it should be lost ; or possibly this
weapon may be deciduous and occasionally discharged."
in the tail of this fish,

Mr. Couch

in

his

MS.

says,

" This

species keeps on

no great distance from land, and in summer

sandy ground
wanders into shallow water, where it is often entangled in
at

the fishermen's nets,

caught,

this fish defends itself,

able

the only

way

for it rarely swallows a bait.

weapon

it

carries

shows

on

its

its tail.

in which

it

is

The manner

usually
in which

consciousness of the formid-

When

seized or terrified,

its habit is to twist its long, slender, and flexible tail round
the object of attack, and with the serrated spine tear the
surface, lacerating it in a manner calculated to produce vio-

lent inflammation."

of striking

prey or
capture.

its

Other authors

state that

it

is

capable

weapon with the swiftness of an arrow into

enemy, when with its winding

These spines, as may be supposed, possess no

its

tail

it

secures

its
its

really

444

RAITD.E.

venomous quality when lacerated wounds happen to men of

a bad habit of body, the symptoms are frequently very severe.
:

In some countries, serrated

application

by

fish spines,

admitting of easy

and spears,

tying, are used to point arrows

which when thus mounted become very formidable weapons.

specimen examined and described by Pennant was two

feet nine inches long

the

tail

from the

tip of the

The body

breadth, one foot eight inches.

except, according to

M.

nose to the end of

one foot three inches

to the origin of the tail,

is

the

quite smooth,

de Blainville, a few small tubercles

along the central line of the back and

tail,

on the

as well as

upper and posterior part of the pectoral fins probably a male

fish ; the shape almost round, and of a much greater thickness and

more elevated form

in the

middle than any other of

the Rays, but grows very thin towards the edges

very sharp-pointed, but short

lour

behind each eye the temporal

the nose

orifice is

very large

colour of the upper surface of the

middle part,

is

the irides are of a gold co-

the

body is a dirty yellow the

of an obscure blue: Mr. Donovan says the young

The

are spotted with brown.

tail

and spine are dusky

the

former very thick at the beginning

the spine, placed at
about one-third of the length of the tail from the body, is
about five inches long, flat on the top and bottom, very hard,
:

sharp-pointed,

the

two side edges

sharply serrated the whole

the

thin,
tail

and closely and

extends four inches

way ;
beyond the end of this spine, and becomes very slender
extremity.
large;

The under

mouth and

surface

teeth small.

and disagreeable, and when

into,

old

is

very red,

name of Fire

is

white

The

laid bare

flesh is said to

by skinning

a circumstance which
Flaire.

at the

the nasal lobes very

may

be rank

or cutting

account for the

EAGLE RAY,

445

CHONDROPTERYGII.

R All DM.

THE EAGLE RAY.

THE WHIP RAY.
Myliobatis aquila,

Aigle de mer, CUVIER,

Aquila Bellonii,

WILLUGHBY,

jRaia aquila,

LINNJEUS.

MILLER.
Regne An.

BLOCK,

Whip Ray, PENN.

pt.

iii.

Generic Characters.
flat

the central plates

wing-like

the

tail

PENNANT,

p,

401.

pi. 81.

Brit. Zool. vol.

JENYNS, Man.

,,

t. ii.

p. 64, C. 2.

iii.

p. 128.

Brit. Vert. p.

519.

Head partly disengaged from the pectoral fins teeth

much larger than those which are lateral pectoral fins

armed with a

serrated spine, as in the last genus Trygon.

in his British Zoology, states that

Mr. Tra-

vis, surgeon
Scarborough, had the tail of a Ray brought
to him by a fisherman of that town
he had taken it in

at

446

HA11D,E.

the sea off that coast, but threw

three feet long,

away the body.

It

was above

entirely covered with hard obtuse tubercles,

extremely slender and taper, and destitute of a fin at the

The tail of a fish received from Sicily, and believed
end.
to

have been taken from a specimen of the Eagle Ray, which

is

not

uncommon

some

in

parts of the Mediterranean, cor-

responded with the description given by Mr. Travis.

This fish is called Eagle Ray from the wing-like form
of the pectoral

and

der,

fins

flexible

and

Whip

Ray, from the long,

character of its

tail.

The

slen-

outline near

the figure of the fish represents the teeth of the upper and

under jaw

each jaw forms part of a circle

ticular rolling

teeth,

motion, added

the fish

has

and from a par-

to the crushing

acquired

the

additional

power of these

name of the

Miller.

As

doubts

may

reasonably be entertained, the examina-

tion having been restricted to a fragment, whether the Eagle

Ray

has really been taken on our coast, the figure of this

fish,

as well as that

which forms the subject of the vignette,

on the

are here inserted to invite the attention of observers

coast.

To William Thompson,

Esq. of Belfast, one of the Vice

Presidents of the Natural History Society of that

I

am

indebted for

many

town,

valuable and interesting notices of

the fishes of the Irish lakes and coast which are distributed
in

In 1835, Mr. Thompson

various parts of this work.

made the following communication

of London, which

is

to the Zoological Society

published in the Proceedings for that

year, at page 78.

"

fish of this singular genus,

Cephaloptera, Dumeril.
taken about five years ago on the southern coast of Ireland,

and thence sent to the Royal Society of Dublin,

is

at pre-

EAGLE RAY.
sent preserved in their
forty-five inches.

characters of

applying to

museum.

The specimen

some of the

it

A representation

In breadth

as figured

of this fish

It

is

about

ill

defined, I hesitate

somewhat resembles the

by M.

is

it

being imperfect, and the

species being

a specific name.

Cephaloptera giorna

44)7

Risso.

given below.

448

I'KTHOMYZID.E.

CHONDROPTERYGH.

PETROMYZ1DJE.*

THE LAMPREY.
Petromyzon marinns, LINN^US.

BLOCH,

Lampetra Rondeletii,

Petromyzon marinus, Sea Lamprey,

iii.

PENN.

pi.

77.

Brit. Zool. vol.

Sotted Lamprey, DON.

,,
,,

pt.

La Grande Lamproye, CUVIER, Regne An.

WILLUGHBY, p. 105, G. 2, f. 2.

,,

,,

,,

p.

404.

p. 102, pi. 10.

Brit. Fish. pi. 81.

An.

Lamprey,

FLEM.

Sea Lamprey,

JENYNS, Man.

Generic Characters.

iii.

t. ii.

Brit.

p. 163, sp. 1.

Brit. Vert. p.

520, sp. 209.

elongated, cylindrical, like that of an

armed with hard tooth-like processes ; the lip forming a continuous circle round the mouth ; seven apertures
on each side of the neck, leading to seven branchial cells ; no pectoral or ven-

Eel

the head rounded

tral fins

Body smooth,

the

the skin towards the

mouth

tail

circular,

extending in a fold from the body both above

and below, forms dorsal, anal, and caudal

THE
fishes

last

fins.

family of the cartilaginous or chondropterygian

contains

the

very closely allied to

their skeleton,

and

Lampreys, and some cylindrical fishes

them.
These fishes are, in reference to
in

some other

the scale of organization

among

The

the lowest in

vertebrated animals.

form and peculiarities of the mouth

*

respects,

will

The

be best understood

family of the Lampreys.

LAMPREY.
a reference to the vignette

by

which shows the

449

the figure on the

flexible lip concealing the

left

mouth

hand of

the figure

on the right hand represents the rounded mouth, the small

and numerous tubercular teeth, and the central aperture leading

by the

The

throat to the stomach.

branchial cells, and the gills

of the

situation

Lamprey,

or

as

Lampern,

right-hand figure at the

it is

also called, are

bottom of page 326

or

common River

branchiae within these cells as they exist in the

shown

in the

and the water

obtains access and egress

side of the neck,

by seven small apertures on each

by the mouth of the fish, or by an aperture

through the upper part of the head which communicates with

the pharynx, and which communication

is

distinctly seen in

a divided head.

The Lampreys,

like the Sharks and Rays, have no swimand

being also without pectoral fins, are usually
ming-bladder
seen near the bottom.
To save themselves from the constant
;

muscular exertion which

carried along
selves

by

the

is

necessary to prevent

them being

by the current of the water, they attach themmouth to stones or rocks, and were in conse-

quence called Petromyzon, or Stone-sucker ; while the circular form of the mouth induced the name of Cyclostomes, or

Round-mouthed Fishes, which was bestowed upon them by

M.

Dumeril.

In reference to the respiratory apparatus in the species of

this

genus,

Lamprey

is

that

" when the

commonly

the case, to

Mr. Owen has remarked,*

firmly attached, as

foreign bodies

by means of

its

is

suctorial

mouth,

it is

obvious

no water can pass by that aperture from the pharynx to

the gills
it is therefore
alternately received and expelled by
that

*
Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Physiological Series of Comparative Anatomy contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons
in London, vol. ii. page 80.

450

PETROMYZID.E.

the external apertures.

If a Lamprey, while so attached to

the side of a vessel, be held with one series of

apertures out
of the water, the respiratory currents are seen to enter
by the

submerged orifices, and, after traversing the corresponding

and the pharynx, to pass through the opposite branchiae,

sacs

and

to be forcibly ejected therefrom

by the exposed

orifices.

The same mode

of respiration must take place in the

ine,"

of this family to be described hereafter,)

(a

species

" while

its

head

cyclostomous

buried in the flesh of

is

fishes

its

Mix-

The

prey.

thus present an obvious affinity to the

Cephalopoda, inasmuch as the branchial currents are inde-

pendent of the actions of the parts concerned in deglutition."

The intestinal canal is small, and extends in a straight line
along the abdomen to the anal aperture without any convolution.

spring

The Lampreys
;

arc oviparous,

spawning

the roe escaping, in both sexes,

late

in

the

by a small membra-

nous sheath, which has internally at its base five apertures,

one leading upward to the intestine, one to each kidney, and
one to each

lateral cavity of the

abdomen.

The Marine Lamprey, which from

its mottled appearance

was called P. maculosus by Artedi, has a very extensive geoIt is found in the Mediterranean, and from
graphical range.

thence northwards in most of the rivers of Europe as far as

Scandinavia,
cludes

it

during the

among

spring.

Professor Reinhardt in-

the fishes of Iceland, and our countryman

Pennant gives it a place in his Arctic Zoology. From a

description and figure in the Natural History of the Fishes
of Massachusets,
to

be

common

by Dr. Smith of Boston, this

North America,

in the rivers of

large size in those of the

more southern

states,

fish

appears

attaining a

but not ex-

twenty inches in length in a high

northern latitude.
Dr. Mitchell also includes this species
among his fishes of New York. It is rather common during
ceeding seventeen or

LAMPREY.
summer

spring and

in

451

some of the

on the southern

rivers

England, particularly the Severn, and

coast of

found in

is

smaller numbers in several of the rivers of Scotland and Ire-

land about the same period of the year.

I have received specimens of large size from the Severn

and May, during which months

in April

ascends that river

it

to a great distance from the sea for the purpose of depositing

its

At

spawn.

time

this

it

considered in perfection as

is

food, and considerable quantities are prepared in various ways

for the table

the potted

Lampreys and Lamperns of Wor-

are in high estimation.

cester

Thames almost
all

standing
port of

few are caught in the

every year, up which river

it

travels notwith-

the numerous and various obstacles which the

London

presents.

am

indebted to

my

friend

Mr.

Broderip for a note of one taken in June 1884, and another

same month of 1835,

in the

Sunbury Weir.
at

as high

up the Thames

with his punt pole, and supposed he hit

it

rose to the surface and was taken as

The haunt

as

fisherman saw the Lamprey, and struck

of this Marine

it

Lamprey

it,

as the fish

was swimming along.

at

Sunbury

is

little

above the church, and nearly opposite the vicarage, in a place

called the

Church Deep.

In Scotland, the appearance of the Lamprey in the fresh

water

is

rather later in the year than in the rivers

Sir

south.

William Jardine

to breed about the

ning of August.

They

supplied by

any elongamost of our fresh-water fish, to

at this important season

Stones of a very large

soon

formed.

but the

mouth, by which they

Their power is immense.

their sucker-like

individually remove each stone.

is

of the

ascend our rivers

are not furnished with

form the receiving furrows

is

says,

They

end of June, and remain until the begin-

tion of the jaw, afforded to

want

"

size are transported,

and a large furrow

in pairs, two

The P. marinus remain

452

I'KTROMYZID.E.

on each spawning place

and while there employed, retain

themselves affixed by the

mouth

After the spawning season

prey, like that of other fish,

and other good

way back to the

The

down

to

and

in the
size,

loses for a

time

firmness

its

makes

fish

consists generally of

sea

it

is

known

its

It

any

soft

to attack other

by fastening upon them, and with

rasp-like teeth eating

the bone.

remains at

Lam-

over, the flesh of the

and the weakened

Lamprey

even of large

numerous small

its

to a large stone."

sea, to recruit its wasted condition.

food of the

animal matter
fishes

qualities,

is

is

away the

soft parts

not very often caught while

it

sea.

This species usually measures from twenty to twenty-eight

the head is rounded ; the form of the body

inches in length

long and cylindrical, slightly compressed towards the

tail

on the top of the head, rather before and between the eyes,
is an external
aperture, which if examined with a blunt probe
is

found to pass downward and backward, opening into a tube

on a

line with the internal orifice of the first branchial sac

along each outside of the neck are seven rounded apertures,

leading to as

many

membrane

branchial cells lined with a

constructed like that of the gills in fishes

has an internal opening into a tube which

tilaginous pericardium at the

wards with the mouth

each of these
is

closed

cells

by a

car-

bottom, but communicates up-

the lips surrounding the mouth, and

the numerous small teeth within, have been already referred

to

on the lower third portion of the body are two distinct

dorsal fins, the second of which is the most

membranous
elevated,

the edges of both convex

membrane round
a caudal

fin,

a continuation of this

the extreme fleshy portion of the

and a narrow

slip

tail

forms

passing upwards on the under

side forms an anal fin.

The

skin

is

perfectly

smooth

the colour of the

body

olive

LAMPREY.

453

brown, mottled and spotted on the back and sides with

darker green and dark brown ; the margins of the fins in-

brown the irides golden yellow.

In slowly-running water, the Lamprey swims with a lateral
undulating motion of the body, assisted by its fins where

clining to reddish

the current
attaching

is

itself

rapid,

it

makes

quickly to

any

successive plunges

forward,

fixed substance that offers to

secure the advantage gained.

The

figure of the fish at the

head of

this subject

from an excellent drawing made by Mrs. Ley.

Pennant states that it has been an old custom

was taken

for the city

of Gloucester annually to present his Majesty with a

prey pie, covered with a large raised crust.

Lam-

I'KTROMYZID.E.

4,54

PETROMYZ1D&.

CHONDROPTERYGI1.

THE LAMPERN, OR RIVER LAMPREY.

Petromyzonjiuviatilis, LINN^US.
,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

,,

BLOCH,

pt.

iii.

pi. 78, fig. 1.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 404.

Lesser Lamprey, PENN. Brit. Zool.
DON. Brit. Fish.
Lampern,
River Lamprey, FI.EM. Brit. An.
JENYNS,

,,

Man.

vol.

iii.

p. 106, pi. 10.

pi. 80.

p. 163, sp. 2.

Brit.

Vert. p.

521,

sp. 210.

THE RIVER LAMPREY,

fishermen

for

or
is

distinction,

Lampern, as it is called by
well-known species which

abounds in many rivers of England, particularly the Thames,

it is also abundant in several
the Severn, and the Dee
:

rivers of Scotland

Some authors
visits

ing

and Ireland.

state that this species, like that last described,

our rivers in spring, and returns to the sea after spawnbut the recorded opinions of others, and my own obser-

vations,

induce

me

to believe that

the year in the fresh water.

it

generally remains

In the Thames I

am

certain

all
it

be obtained every month in the year ; but is considered

in the best condition for the table from October to March,
is

to

during which time

it

is

permitted to be caught, according

to the rules adopted for the conservation of the fishery.

LAMPERN.

455

Formerly the Lampern was considered a fish of considerIt was taken in great quantities in the

able importance.

Thames from
sold to the
fisheries.

Battersea Reach to

Dutch

as bait for the

Taplow

and was

Mills,

Turbot, Cod, and other

Four hundred thousand have been

sold in one season

for this purpose, at the rate of forty shillings per thousand.

From
given

pounds to eight pounds the thousand have been

but a comparative scarcity of late years, and consequent

five
;

increase in price, has obliged the line fishermen to adopt other

Formerly the Thames alone supplied

from one million to twelve hundred thousand Lamperns annually.
They are very tenacious of life, and the Dutch fishsubstances for bait.

ermen managed
If this
in the

to keep

species, which

months of March

them

alive at sea for

many

weeks.

very easily obtained, be examined

is

or April, the distinction of the sexes

be immediately evident on opening them. The female may

generally be known externally by the larger size of the abdowill

men, and the male by his lips being more tumid and the mouth

The

larger than that of the female.

May, and

season of spawning

the process has been described

by several

is

observers.

This sometimes takes place in pairs only, and at others by

many of both sexes occupying one general spawning bed.

The

food of this species, according to Bloch,

worms, small

The

and the

fish,

adult fish

is

flesh of

dead

is

insects,

fish.

usually from twelve to fifteen inches in

length ; the body rather slender, cylindrical for two-thirds

of its length, then compressed to the end of the tail ; the

head rounded, with a single aperture on the crown, leading to

the tube between the
rather large

behind, but a

cells,

as in the other species

the eye

seven lateral openings ranged in a line

the
little

obliquely and below

it,

on each side

the

lip

surrounding the mouth has a continuous row of small points

on

its

margin

figure of the fish

the
:

mouth and

teeth as represented near the

the back furnished with two rather elongated

I'l

THOMY/ID.E.

dorsal fins, with a separation between

with an extension of the

The

skin

is

them

the

furnished

tail

membrane above and below.

quite smooth, of a blue colour on the back and

sides, passing into silvery white underneath.

In "

The

buted to

Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle," attriJuliana Berners, and first printed by Wyn-

Dame

kyn de Worde,

in his edition of the

Book

of St. Albans, in

1496, the learned lady, after recommending a

worm

as proper baits for the

" In
Aprill take
other wysc named VII.

adds,

Trout

The

is

in

month

of March,

and also Juncba,

reference to the apertures

common names

and some other countries

.Juneba

the

the same baytes

Seven eyes and nine eyes,

about the head, are

in

minnow and

for

the

Lamprey

but a derivation

for

in this

the term

a desideratum.

vignette represents a fisherman of South

ing his coracle

see vol.

ii.

page 27.

Wales

bear-

FBINGED-LIPPED LAMPERN.

CHONDROPTE11YGIL

457

PETROMYZIDJE.

THE FRINGED-LIPPED LAMPERN.

PLANER'S LAMPREY.
Petromyzon Planeri, Planer's Lamprey) BLOCK,

,,

,,

La

,,

Planer's Lamprey,

sp.

THIS

species,

when

adult,

last described,

is

its

pt.

iii.

pi. 78, fig. 3.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 404.

JENYNS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 522,

Petite Lamproye,

211.

easily distinguished

being much

by
Lampern
it may
and yet equally thick in substance
with
nised at all ages, on comparison
it, by
:

whole broad edge of the circular

lip

am

two dorsal

also
its

be recog-

having the

furnished with numerous

and
papillse forming a thickly-set fringe,
close connexion of the

from the

shorter in length,

by the depth and

fins.

indebted to the kindness of Sir William Jardine for

two specimens of the young of this species, which were sent

from the Tweed. I subsequently obtained some from a brook
in Surrey, which were rather larger thati those sent from the

North

cashire,

length,

VOL.

and have

also received

the males of which

and the females nine

ii.

some specimens from Lan-

measure near eight inches in

inches.

2 H

PETHOMVZIDE.

458

This species was named by Blocli after his friend Planer,

who sent him specimens but if Bloch's

the
be
same
as
our British fish, his figure is excepspecies
This
tionable.
Lampcrn appears to be well known to M.

a professor at Erfort,

Nilsson,

who

includes

Prodromus of the Fishes of

in his

it

Scandinavia, and says

it is

an inhabitant of almost

brooks and rivers of Sweden, and that

May.
only

M.

Nilsson gives to this

fish

it

spawns

the

the length of six inches

appears therefore that this species, like P.

it

and P. Jluvtatilis, does not acquire

all

in April or

mar nuts

in high northern regions

the size of our specimens in this country.

When

compared with P. JLuviatilis^ Planer's Lampern has

the orifice on the forehead, the eye, and the first of the branchial apertures,

much

in the other species

nearer the anterior edge of the lip than

the lip broad and fringed, and the dis-

shown

position of the teeth as

mouth only

the

first

dorsal fin begins about the middle of

the whole length of the

second dorsal
first

the

fin,

tail

is

the additional figure of the

in

which

fish,

in

and
its

is

in close contact with the

base

is

as long again as the

furnished with an extension of

above and below, forming a caudal

fin

membrane

and a narrow

slip

passing forwards towards the anal sheath, forms a rudimentary anal

In

its

fin.

colours this species agrees with the

common Lam-

pern, being dusky blue on the back and sides, passing into
silvery white

In

its

on the belly, the

habits, Planer's

common Lampern,
mistaken for

it.

as

fins

Lampern

frequently,

Both may go

from that part of a

having a brown

tint.

so closely resembles the

no doubt,

to

have been

to the salt or brackish water

river within the influence of the tide.

PRIDE.

459

CHONDROPTERYGH.

PETROMYZIDM.

THE PRIDE, AND SANDPRIDE.

SANDPREY, AND MUD LAMPREY.
Ammoc&tes

branchialis, Lamprillon,

,,

,,

,,

,,

Petromyzon

,,

Pride,

JENYNS, Man.
LINNJEUS.
Pride,

Mud

c&cus,

,,

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 406.

FLEM. Brit. An. p. 164, sp. 3.

lip

p. 107, pi. 10.

p.

23,

figs.

&

10.

Form

Generic Characters.
like those of the

under

2.

Lamprey, COUCH, Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist.

vol. v.

nous

Brit. Vert. p. 522, sp. 212.

BLOCK, pt. iii. pi. 78, fig.

PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. in.

Lampreys
mouth without

of the body, the branchial apertures and fins,

upper lip semicircular, with a straight, transverse
teeth, but furnished with numerous short membra;

cirri.

THIS

small fish

is

very similar in

its

general appearance to

the young of the Lampreys found in fresh water

prominent

lip

is

in the form of a horse-shoe,

not being complete,

it

generally hides itself in the

and brooks

but

like the

mud

true

Lampreys, but

or loose sandy bottoms of

in this country, in

most of which

found, but requires close search to detect

it.

it

will

quill.

be

It is of little

value, seldom exceeding six or seven inches in length,

about as thick as a large

its

circle

has not the power of adhering to

stones and other substances

rivers

and the

and

is

460
It

I'KTKOMYZID.E.
formerly considered to be a Lamprey, and was

was

Pi'tromyzon cacus by Ray, on account of

called

small eyes

afterwards had the trivial

it

bestowed upon

it

by Linnaeus, from a notion

itself to the gills of fishes.

It

is

its

very

name of branchialis
that

said to be

attached

it

common about

Oxford, and was called by Dr. Plot, in his History of Oxfordshire, the Pride of the Isis ; Prid being an ancient diminutive for Lamprey.

It is very

common

in the

Thames about

Hampton, where it is called Sandpride. Mr. Jesse says the

I'.cl is one of its
greatest enemies, and feeds greedily upon
I have received it from Hertfordshire, and some other
it.
inland counties.
It spawns at the end of April or the beginning of May, and feeds upon worms, insects, and dead or
even putrid animal matter.

Mr. Couch

"

I find this species frequents

says,

muddy bottom, from which

streams in Cornwall, living in the

it

if

rarely,

months

its fins is

by

willingly emerges.

mud at
The
activity.

in stagnant water, with

injury tD

it

ever,

its

health or

to enable

violent torrents.

sleep much.

When

have kept

it

for

only apparent use of

when

kept in clear water

have never found

the bottom, without

to regain its station,

it

our smaller

forced from

seems to

it

this species to attach itself

any object by the mouth ; but the lips are capable of

extensive and complicated motions.
Our fishermen collect
to

them

to use

hooks when whiffing

as

bait for their

lip

and the rnouth

for Pol-

lacks."

The upper

in this species, as

shown

in

the enlarged representation of the lower surface of the head

under the figure of the whole

shoe;
slender

the

fish,

is

in the

inner part furnished with

membranous

cirri

"
;

form of a horse-

numerous short and

the lingual and palatine plates

somewhat harder than the other portion, but no true teeth :"
on the top of the forehead is a small orifice and canal, which

PRIDE.

461

leads to the internal tube between

and connected with each

lateral set of branchial cells, as in the

much

very small, so
looked, and
depression

it

is

so

Lampreys

the eye

is

have been occasionally over-

as to

situated at the

bottom of a small and deep

the branchial apertures are seven on each side,

arranged along a kind of lateral groove

at this part is rather
is

tumid

behind

the

this the

body of the

fish

form of the body

nearly round, the portion beyond the anal opening com-

pressed

there are two dorsal fins, the

the second longer and higher, with

between

it

and the

first

dorsal fin,

first

short and low,

distinct diminution

and

also with the dilated

somewhat round-

membrane forming the caudal

fin,

which

the fleshy portion of the

tail

being pointed

ed,

slip of

membrane forms an

Some

anal

is

a narrow

fin.

variations occur in specimens of this fish from differ-

ent localities,

may

species

and there
exist.

is

even reason to suppose that two

The most

frequent colour

is

yellowish

brown on the top of the head

and upper part of the back, much lighter underneath and on
brown, approaching to blackish

the

fins.

The

vignette was

made by T.

copied from a sketch of a fishing party

Stothard,

R.A. about the year 1780.

462

'ETHOMY/ID.E.

CHONDEOPTERYG1I.

PETROMYZlDsE.

THE MYXINE.
c.UJIXOUS HAG, AND BORKK.
i'lustruhranchus ftfci, Bliiuljish,

,,

,,

Miiine glutinosa,
,,

BLOCII,

pt.

xii. pi.

413.

CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 406.

Glutinous Hag, PENN. Brit. Zool.

vol.

iii.

109.

p.

LINN*US.
Glutinous Hag, FLEM. Brit. An.

,,

,,

JENYNS,

Man.

p. 164, sp. 4.

Brit.

Vert.

p.

523,

fin

very

sp.213.

Generic Characters.
low, continued round the

tail to

nicating with the interior

with one hook-like tooth

elongated, cylindrical, smooth ; dorsal

the vent ; a single spiracle on the head

Body

surrounded with eight barbules or

lips

commencement

apertures two, placed under the

THE

worm-like form of the

several systematic

with the

Worms

fish

and

it

preys were acknowledged.

French Institute

in

was not
its

Of

mouth

branchial

of the belly.

figured

above induced

authors, including Linnseus,

published descriptions that

to the

cirri

tongue with two rows of teeth on each side

commu-

till

after

to class

dissections

true relations with the

it

and

Lam-

these memoirs, that furnished

1797 by Bloch, the ichthyologist

MYXINE.

463

of Berlin, will be read with, interest

and the substance of

it

be found in the twelfth part of his valuable work on

Fishes, in which the internal structure is rendered obvious by
will

various coloured illustrations.

In the family of

fishes

now under

consideration, the last

of vertebrate animals, the spinal column

is in a
rudimentary
In the Lampreys it is but indistinctly divided
into rounded portions.
In the Myxine, in place of a series

condition.

of bones composing the vertebral column, there

soft
fish

and

is

merely a

flexible cartilaginous tube ;* while in the diminutive

next to be described, which

species, this support

is

is

the last of the British

reduced to a small and slender semi-

transparent column, extending throughout and connecting

the whole length of the body like the flexible horny pen in

some

species of Cephalopods, and to which class other rela-

tions of structure both in the

will

Myxine and

in this small fish

be pointed out.

As

a British fish, the

the eastern coast.

other fish

Myxine

It enters, says

when on

occurs most frequently on

Pennant,

" the mouths of

the hooks attached to the lines which

remain a tide under water, and totally devours the whole

The Scarborough

except the skin and bones.

often take

On

it

in the robbed fish on drawing

this part of our coast it is called

because, as others say,

skin,

body.

it first

and afterwards buries

It

is

up
Hag, and

also Borer,

pierces a small aperture in the

its

most usually found

head in the abdomen or

body of the Cod,

in the

some other equally rapacious fish.

For the only specimens of the Myxine

am

fishermen

their lines."

or

I ever possessed, I

indebted to the unremitting kindness of Dr. George

Johnston of Berwick, who has assisted

* If a section be

made, a probe passes readily

me most

materially

in either direction.

464

PETROMYZIJXE.

by sending me examples of many

interesting species which

have been referred to throughout this work.

not

is

uncommon

at

Berwick

but

it

The Myxine

only to be obtained

is

a particular season of the year in one or two particular

at

when during

localities,

at the

fine weather,

end of spring or

the beginning of summer, the fishermen lay their long lines

on a bank with a
fishing for

soft

mud bottom

Cod and Haddock.

Myxine, which

that the

others endeavour

considered

is

when

by some

without eyes, obtains access to

is

the interior of the body of the

anal aperture

near that coast

It

fish

by passing
account for

to

in at the
its

being

found in the belly of a voracious fish by supposing it had

been swallowed ; while many experienced fishermen still
repeat their belief that the

Codfish while

it

hanging on the

is

able

matter not

enters the

mouth of

the

It is conjectured

line.

upon any fish unless it be

on
a
hook
but how a fish that is
entangled

either dead or

blind

is

Myxine does not

that the

Myxine

fasten

to find its

way

easily explained.

to a particular aperture,

The

about the mouth of the Myxine

eight barbules or
are,

there

is

is

cirri

no doubt,

organs of touch, by which it obtains cognizance of

the nature and quality of the substances with which
they are

delicate

and

its

single

to retain

its

hold

in contact

ables

it

hooked tooth upon the palate en-

till

the double rows of lingual teeth

are brought into action to aid the desire to obtain food.

The high
is

northern geographical range of this singular

shown by M. Nilsson including

the shores of Scandinavia,

it

among

fish

the fishes of

where, he adds, four and even

examples have been found within the body of one HadThe Myxdock, the flesh of which was entirely consumed.
six

ine

is

oviparous, and the ova are of the same colour, size,

and form as those of the Lampern,

and yellow.

that

is,

small, round,

MYXINE.

465

Along the whole length of the under

from head to

tail,

surface of the body,

there are two rows of

mucous

pores, from

which a large quantity of a gelatinous secretion is expressed

occasionally at the will of the animal, and by which, either
in reference to its quality or quantity, or both,

this fish is

So copious and so thick in its

some of the older

said to escape its enemies.

consistence

is

naturalists

believed this fish had the power of converting

this jelly-like secretion, that

water into glue, and

it

obtained in consequence the

name of

the Glutinous Hag.

The body

is

elongated,

throughout the greater part of

in

eel-like
its

form,

cylindrical

length, tapering and com-

pressed towards the tail; the whole length from twelve to

fifteen inches

the

skin

smooth and unctuous

perfectly

the head obtusely pointed, with a single spiracle connected

with the interior of the mouth and branchiae

eight tentacula,

about the
lips

soft,

lips,

cirri,

eyes wanting

or feelers, as they are called, are placed

four near the front, and two on each side

inclining to a circle in their figure

extensible,

one single hooked tooth on the palate ; the tongue furnished with four rows of small pointed teeth, two rows on
each side

at

the division between the thoracic and abdo-

minal cavities are two external apertures, each of which

is

connected by a membranous tube with the six branchise on

The
its own side ; hence Bloch's name of Gastrobranchus.
anal

aperture

is

an elongated

inches before the end of the

fissure
tail

situated

about

two

along the whole under

ranged two rows of pores, which

body
afford egress to the secretion of the numerous glands within ;
the dorsal fin is low and rudimentary, except towards the
surface of the

tail,

are

where the membrane

round the end of the

tail,

is

dilated,

and being continued

and thence upwards to the anal

fin, which

in addition a caudal and an anal

aperture, forms

466

I'ETROMYZID.K.

no doubt materially
the

Myxine

brown on the

The

this fish in

assist

and yellowish white underneath.

is from a
drawing by Mr.

sides,

vignette here added

engraved

for

1815, where

the Philosophical

The upper
it

single

hooked tooth

this

to

year

on the

on the centre of the palate the

is

the right and left are the double

an inch below, on each side, are the

on the outside each

common

cell

to the six cells

ends

downward,

Beneath
in

Home

with their internal communications with

branchial cells,

the central canal

is

E.

paper by
Lamprey and Myxine.

the eight tentacula,

rows of lingual teeth

passing

Sir

Clift,

the

angle of the figure exhibits the single spiracle,

about

a tube that

Transactions for

illustrates

it

organs of respiration in the

six

In colour

swimming.

dark brown along the back, lighter chestnut

is

the

at

communicates with

on that

external

side,

aperture

which,
below.

the stomach and intestinal canal, which, as

the Lamprey,

is

straight

the rounded marks along the

margin on both sides from end to end show the numerous

mucous glands that have already been referred to. It is
impossible to dissect a Myxine, and attend to the structure

and substance of

reminded of

its

investing skin, without being forcibly

its

great resemblance to the investing mantle of

the Cephalopods.

The

relations of structure in the

on the one hand, and the

first

Myxine

to the

Lampreys

class of mollusca, the

Cephato
on
the
that
the
situation
other,
prove
appear
lopods,
claimed for this fish by Bloch, and systematic authors since
his time,
is

shown

is

single spiracle

parts of the

The

the natural one.

in the elongated,

on the head

mouth

relation to the

cylindrical
;

Lampreys

form of the body

the

the general similarity in the

the character of the branchial

cells,

and

the viscera.

The

relation to the

Cephalopods

is

apparent in the eight

MYXINE.

467

tentacula or feelers about the head, the horny but flexible

nature of the columnar support of the body, the character of

its

external covering,

secretion whenever

it

and by the power of ejecting a copious

considers itself in danger.

PETBOMYZID.E.

468

PETROMYZID&.

CHONDROPTERYC1L

THE LANCELET.
Amphioxus lanceolatus, YARRELL.
Limax
,,
PALLAS, Spic. Zool.X.

p. 19,

t. i.

fig.

11.

Body compressed, the surface without scales, both ends

a single dorsal fin extending the whole length of the back ; no pectoral, ventral, anal, or caudal fins ; mouth on the under part of the head narrow, elongated, each lateral margin furnished with a row of slender filaments.
Generic Characters.

pointed

THE

singular little animal here figured of the natural size,

although one of the smallest, as well as the

British fishes,

is

by no means

last,

among

deficient in interest.

specimen, the only one I ever saw, and which

The

is

probably
one that has been taken for many years, was
by Mr. Couch, who found it himself on the

also the only

sent to

me

shore near Polperro.

fish

portion

of the

tail

of this

little

was sticking out from underneath a stone in a small

LANCELET.

469

left by the tide. Mr. Couch perceiving it, took it

up with
some water in the hollow of his hands.
It was alive, very

pool

active,

and so transparent that the

viscera were perceivable

through the external covering.

It was taken

Couch, who made a drawing of

its

home by Mr.

appearance under a mi-

croscope.

The

only notice of this

become acquainted with

little

that

is

Zoologica, already quoted

animal on record that I have

by

and

Pallas, in his Spicilegia

I insert at the foot of the

page, as a note, the Latin description of Pallas,* believing

that the reader will then have before

published of this very rare

as far as I

am

little

him

all

that has been

animal, of which, at least

aware, possibly no other specimen has been

found or noticed since that to which Pallas

it

which,

is

not a

little

refers,

and

singular, was also obtained from

Cornwall.

Of

"

the specimen in his possession Pallas says,

nunquam vivum
adluente accepi

Quod

vidi, sed liquore servatum e mari Cornubiam

olim,

quodque prima

facie

refert

piscem

Leptocephalum Gronovii."

At

first

sight this little fish has

of a Leptocephalus, a British fish

somewhat the appearance

first

sent

by our countryman and zoologist Pennant

ticularly resembles

it

in

to

Gronovius

it

more par-

the arrangement of the

striae

on

but Leptocephalus, as will appear by

a reference to the figure of it in this volume at page 311,

the flattened sides

has a perfect head, though a small one, with jaws, teeth,

* "

Limax lanceolatus. Corpus anceps, planum, lineari lanceolatum, utrinque acutissimum. Margo undique limbo membranaceo auctus ; subtus vero ad
duas tertias longitudinis margo bilabiatus est, sulcatusque, ut sit quasi pes
Tentacula plane nulla.
Latera striis obsoletis,
angustissimus.
antrorsum obliquatis prope dorsum angulo recurvatis, ut quasi latus pisciculi

limacinus

desquamatum

referant."

470

I'ETROMY/ID.E.

and

eyes,

gill-covers

while the fish under consideration has

neither eyes nor gill-covers, nor any fins except one along

the back.

Supported by the opinions of three or four zoological

friends, I have placed this little animal in this family, near
the cyclostomous fishes, believing

it

to be, as far as at present

known, the lowest in organization among

although

am

this

unwilling to mutilate entirely

by

class

and

my

rough

dissection the only specimen probably I shall ever possess,

and which

is

I shall

perhaps unique,

yet be able to show, by

the figures given and some further description,

animal

entitled to

is

at

place

that

this

end of the present

the

family.

The form

of the

fish

is

without any trace of eyes

mouth on

compressed

the nose rather produced

the under edge,

the

shape an elongated fissure,

in

from the inner margin exslender filaments, regularly disposed, which

the sides of which are flexible

tend various
cross

the head pointed,

and intermingle with those of the opposite

side.

Along

the sides of the body the muscles are arranged in regular

order,

diverging from a central line, one series passing ob-

upward and backward, the other series as obliquely

downward and backward the anal aperture is situated one-

liquely

fourth of the whole length of the fish,

end of the

tail

the end of the

the

tail

itself

a delicate

tail

pointed

in

membranous

the whole length of the back, supported

and minute

soft rays

The body

is

and

strengthened
a

by very numerous

supported

comparatively

internally

flexible cartilaginous

throughout
length by
from which the numerous muscles diverge
is

dorsal fin extends

the surface of the body smooth.

its

abdomen

advance of the

from the nose to

large

column,

the cavity of the

the intestine a

canal

of

LANCELET.

471

considerable calibre, without convolution

above

row of flattened globular bodies, which have

The

ance of ova.

the middle

mouth

as seen

line

is

an

The

right-hand figure
of the

enlarged representation

from below, with the filaments from each

stretching across the opening

middle

the appear-

all

figure at the top of the illustration re-

presents this fish of the natural size.

in

a double

it

the outline on the

left

side

of the

a magnified view of the two portions of the hyoid

is

or lingual bone, to which the filaments are attached,

branch

bone

of which

is

divided,

and the cut portions

turned up and down to expose the other perfect side

figure at the base

the whole

is

one

the

a magnified view of the appearance of

fish.

Several relations in structure to the Lampreys and

Myx-

armed lingual
and the want of pectoral and

ine are observable in the fringed mouth, the

bone, the absence of eyes,

Of

ventral fins.
is

known

food

is

it

is

its

habits, that only

extremely active

which has been stated

when

in water,

and

its

probably some of the most minute among the thin-

skinned Crustacea, or decomposing animal matter.

It

may

grounds

perhaps be expected that I should state on what

I have ventured to

differ

from such a naturalist

as Pallas in considering this animal a fish,

and not a Limax.

distinguished from the JLimaces by the absence of the

ventral muscular disk for locomotion ; and from every other
It

is

molluscous genus, in the position of the anal aperture, which

is

unconnected with the respiratory cavity.

hand, the dorsal

fin,

On

the other

and regular oblique strata of muscular

body and having their points

fibres clothing the sides of the

of origin attached to a firm dorsal internal axis,

with the

existence of a lengthened internal vertebral column, although

in a soft cartilaginous state, as in the

Myxine,

are sufficient

PKTBOMV/ID.r.

472
to determine

Amphioxus

The

the primary division of animals to which the

belongs.

vignette closing this second volume, and the History

New

of British Fishes, represents the

of the

Hall and the Barge

of Fishmongers of London.

Company
The arms on the

title-page of the

first

volume are

of the Company.

LONDON
PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY,
:

Dorset Street, Fleet Street.

also those

HO
NO

to
(D

O
W
H
Ct,

Biological

&

Medical

}H