stone, in December following, weighing about 50 lbs. and one in February, 1843, weighing 60 lbs. One captured a few years since weighed 150 lbs. OSSEOUS FISHES. (Fishes in which the bones are hard and firm.) PIPE-FISHES:- Syngnathus acus.-Pipe-fish. Common. Syngnathus anguineus.-Snake Pipe-fish. Not common. Syngnathus æquoreus.-Equoreal Pipe-fish. Salcombe. (Montagu) Syngnathus lumbriciformis (Jenyns)-Worm Pipe-fish. Common, under stones; I have specimens of male, and female, taken at Plymouth in January by Mr. G. Kearley the male bears 56 vermilion-coloured ova, on the belly, occupying little corresponding pits; the middle row irregular; the female larger than the male. Syngnathus ophidion.-Straight-nosed Pipe-fish. Cornwall. (Couch) Syngnathus typhle.-Lesser Pipe-fish. GYMNODONTIDE. *Tetraodon stellatus. Cornwall. Orthagoriscus Mola. A fine specimen was exhibited in Plymouth and the neighbourhood, in 1841, taken in the Channel, about May or June. Orthagoriscus truncatus. Rare. MALACOPTERYGIOUS FISHES. (Osseous fishes in which the fins are supported by soft cartilaginous articulated rays.) SALMONS, &C. :-SALMONIDE. Salmo Salar.-Salmon. On the Dart, the young Salmons of the first year are called "Salmon Peals." Salmo Eriox.-Grey. Pug Trout. Bull Trout. Sea Trout. Truff. Salmo Salmulus.-Samlet. Parr. Found on the Dart, Plym, Yealm, and Avon, where it is called the Hipper. Salmo Trutta.-Salmon Peal. Salmon Trout, Sea Trout, White Trout, and White Fish (the young). Common weight, 4 or 5 lbs. Shoal Peal is a term used for parties of the young as they pass upwards; as many as 100 have been seen together in a company. Salmo fario.-Trout or Shot. Common in all our rivers; stationary. The Cornish Trouts are small. One taken at Exeter, weighed 12 lbs. One taken in the Axe, measured 30 inches in length, and 161⁄2 in girth, and weighed 11 lbs. Mr. J. Hearder describes the following varieties in colour." (1) Yellow, with large black spots, (2) greenish yellow, with a few red spots, (3) very dark, large spots, yellow belly; this is the largest, and designated, in the Devon rivers, the Truff, as distinguished from the Peal." There is probably in this account an indication of other kinds than S. fario. The flesh of Trout in the Ockment he describes as red. * Salmo Mr. Ross informs me by letter, (February, 1843,) that "a new species of Salmon was taken at the back of Exmouth Warren, on December 31st, 1842; length, 31 in. circumference, 15 in. weight, 12 lbs. the Caligus piscinus adherent in several parts." HERRINGS, &c:-CLUPEIDE. Clupea Harengus.-Herring. Variable in its movements. Appears first in July, and continues to be taken till November and December. The Herring fishery of Great Britain commences in March at some spots, at others in July, and at others in December ; it therefore never leaves the British coasts. A few wander in our estuaries in January, and are quite out of season. Clupea Pilcardus.-Pilchard. Abundant, save in an occasional year. It first appears in July and August. Irregular in its movements. Some of them congregate towards the shores in March, April, and May, this section of the species spawning in Spring, while the main body spawn in Autumn. While on the coast, Pilchards consume large quantities of a small fish commonly called "Britt." Clupea Sprattus.-Sprat. Abundant in winter, disappearing about the end of January. Clupea alosa.-(Jenyns)—Allice Shad. Brought to market in Summer. Not common. Clupea finta.-(Jenyns)-Twaite Shad. Not common. Engraulis encrasicolus.-Anchovy. Autumn and Winter. PIKES-ESOCIDE. Esox lucius.- Pike. In Slapton Ley. Belone vulgaris.-Gar Pike. Green Bone. Long Nose. Not uncommon. * Hemiramphus Europeus. Cornwall. (Couch) Exocœtus exiliens.-Greater flying fish. Some years since a specimen threw itself on Plymouth Quay. Has been found in Cornwall also, or at least an allied species. One threw itself on a ship's deck, in the Channel, in November, 1842. Scomberesox saurus.-Saury. Uncommon. SUCKING FISHES:-CYCLOPTERIDE. Lepadogaster Cornubiensis.-Cornish Sucker. Lepadogaster bimaculatus.-Bimaculated Sucker. Torrcross, &c. (Montagu) Liparis Montagui. Montagu's Sucker. At Milton, (Montagu) Cornwall, (Couch) * Cyclopterus coronatus. (Couch) Cornwall. Cyclop. lumpus.-Lump fish. Not uncommon. Taken in Plymouth Sound occasionally. Cops, &c. :-GADIDE. Morhua vulgaris.-Cod. Common. Morhua æglefinus.-Haddock. Common. Morhua lusca.-Bib. Pouting. Pout. Blin. Whiting Pouting. Common. Morhua minuta.-Power. Physcis furcatus.-Fork-beard. uncommon. Common. Hake's Dame. Not Com *Motella glauca.-(Jenyns)-Mackarel-Midge. mon. Raniceps Jago.-Tadpole fish. Cornwall. (Couch) Gadus Mustela.-I have taken these, when young, at the mouth of the Yealm in March; by November they are 8 in. long. Gadus tricirratus. Not uncommon. One in Plymouth Market, November, 1840; another in January, 1843. * Gadus argenteolus. Devon. (Montagu) Molva vulgaris.-Ling. Common. Merlangus carbonarius.-Coalfish. Racer. Common. Rauning-Pollack Yarrell, * Merlangus Poutassou,-Poutassou Whiting. Merlangus vulgaris.-Whiting. Common. Common. Whiting-Pollack. Merlangus virens.-Green Cod. Cornwall. Mr. Couch considers it to be the young of M. carbonarius. Merlucius vulgaris. — Huke. formerly. Abundant, but more so FLAT-FISHES:- PLEURONECTIDE. Pleuronectes maximus.-Turbot. Not uncommon. Pleuronectes megastoma.-Whiff. Carter. Megrim. French Sole. The commonest species at Plymouth. |