FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH AND ITS TRIBUTARIES 213 



About the loth of March 1861, considerable numbers of young 

 Pilchards were brought to the Edinburgh market, along with 

 herrings and sprats, which had been taken in the Firth. They were 

 only caught in large quantities for a few days in March, but they had 

 occurred sparingly with herring during the previous winter months. 

 Mr. G. Logan, who recorded these facts ("Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin.," 

 vol. ii. pp. 289-290), examined several dozens, the largest of which 

 were fully 8 inches in length. 



Professor M'Intosh (" Brit. Marine Food Fishes," p. 423) says that 

 " it is many a year since pilchards were found in any abundance 

 off the east coast of Scotland ; in obedience to some natural laws, 

 of which we know nothing, this fish has disappeared from our 

 shores." 



NEROPHIS ^QUOREUS (Linnceus), 



Syngnathus cequoreus, PARNELL, pp. 398-399. " This fish was first 

 recorded as British by Sir Robert Sibbald, who obtained a 

 specimen in the Firth of Forth prior to the year 1685. No 

 other instance of its occurrence in that locality has since been 

 noticed. It is one of the rarest of our British fishes " (p. 399). 



The Snake Pipe-fish would still seem to be very rare in the Firth, 

 though it is stated to be not uncommon along the east coast of 

 Scotland. The following two records are all that have come under 

 my notice : 



One, 20 inches long, was captured among long weed on the coast of 

 the Isle of May early in January 1860, and was exhibited at a 

 meeting of the Royal Physical Society by Dr. John Alexander 

 Smith ("Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin.," vol. ii. p. 139). 



One, 21 inches in length, was taken in a lobster-net off Inchkeith on 

 the iyth of April 1861 (Young, t.c. pp. 290-291). 



ORTHAGORISCUS MOLA (Linnceus) [MOLA MOLA (Z.)]. 



PARNELL, pp. 401-403. "Seven or eight examples have occurred 

 in the Firth of Forth" (p. 402). 



Though a deep-sea form, the Short Sunfish is not very rare in 

 the estuary, and is probably a much more frequent visitor than the 

 data would lead us to suspect. 



One, 5 feet 2 inches, Firth of Forth, 1842 ("Proc. Roy. Phys. 



Soc. Edin.," vol. ii. p. 10). 

 One, weighing about 500 Ibs., mouth of Firth, xyth October 



1855. Brought up by lead line of H.M. cutter " Woodlark " 



(op, cit. vol. i. p. 57). 

 One, fully 4 feet and weighing betweeen 300 and 400 Ibs., off 



Pittenweem, November 1874 (Day, "Brit, and Irish Fishes," 



vol. ii. p. 275). 



