OR JOHNSTON'S ADDRESS. 7 



mon tope l . the starry ray '-, of which I have had several specimens 

 brought me, the top-knot 3 , the toothed gilt-head 4 , the sea perch 5 , the 

 basse 6 , the horse mackerel 7 , the fifteen-spined stickleback ", which is 

 by no means uncommon on this coast, and is occasionally taken at the 

 mouth of our river during the summer months. Besides these, there have 

 occurred four species, which, in our latest system of British animals, are 

 said to be confined to the " English coast ;" and which may therefore be 

 considered as additions to the fishes of the Scottish shores. These arc, 

 the greater weaver 9 , the lesser spotted dog-fish 10 , the hag-worm u , and 

 the tadpole fish 12 . The hag-worm, so remarkable for the peculiarities of 

 its structure, is, according to the testimony of our fishermen, rather com- 

 mon on the coast of Berwickshire ; and the size of the specimens I have seen, 

 and I am assured they are not larger than the average, is much superior 

 to what is stated in our systematic works ; for, instead of 8 inches, they 

 were 14 and 15 inches in length. Of the tadpole fish, which is one of 

 the rarest British species, and previously known only as an inhabitant 

 of the shores of Cornwall, I had the pleasure of exhibiting to you a living 

 specimen, which had been captured in Berwick Bay. When alive, and 

 when recently dead, the body appeared every where smooth and even ; 

 but, after having lain three days on a plate, and become a little shrivelled, 

 there appeared an obscure row of tubercles, running backwards from the 

 pectoral fins, and these pea-like tubercles could be more readily distin- 

 guished by drawing the finger over the skin. I would call attention to 

 this fact, because the only good distinction between the Raniceps tri- 

 furcatus, and R. Jago of Dr Fleming, is derived from the presence of 

 these tubercles ; in the former the lateral line is said to be tuberculated 

 above the pectoral fins, in the latter it is said to be smooth : but here we 

 have a specimen which, when alive, exhibits the character of the Jago ; 

 when dead, that of the trifurcatus ; and hence, I am induced to think that 

 both are the same animal, having the tubercles more or less proiuim-nt 

 and obvious according to the leanness or other conditions of the body. 



Insects. Since no communication has been laid before us relative 

 to the entomology of Berwickshire, it is beyond my province to make 

 any remarks on the subject ; but you may permit me to notice one fa- 

 mily, too beautiful, too generally distributed, and too obtrusive, not to 



Squalus Galeus Lin., Galeus vulgam Flem. 



Raia radiata Donov. 3 Pleuronectw punctatus Pen. 



Sparus dentatus Stew., Brama marina Flem. 



Perca marina Lin., Serranus norvegicus Flem. 



Perca Labrax Lin. 



Scomber Trachurus Lin., Trachurus vulgam Firm. 



Gasterosteus Spinachia Lin., Spinachia vulgam Firm. 



TrachimtH major l-'lan. 



Squalus Catulu. Lin., Scyllium Catulus Flem. 



Myxine glutinosa Lin. 



Batrachoides trifurcatus LViriw, Ranicep* trifurcatu* Firm. 



