212 ACANTHOPTERY'GII. 



its extremity suddenly becomes lower where there are ten spines, it is then 

 completed by rays. The tail may be said to be destitute of a fin, those of the 

 dorsal and anal conjoining. In young examples, as up to 3 or 4 inches in length, 

 there are 13 or 14 distinct caudal rays, which atrophy with age. Anal commences 

 at the third-fifth of the total length. Pectoral nearly as long as the head. 

 Ventrals small. Intestines the commencement of the small intestines has almost 

 the same calibre as the stomach and two short appendages.* Scales rudimentary, 

 none on the head. Colours olive, with irregular spots and bands on the head 

 and body. In some the darker markings are arched in shape and continued on 

 to the dorsal fin. Two or three arched bands exist on the pectoral. 



Names. Eel-pout was employed by Sibbald as referring to this fish in 

 Scotland, and Paget states it also employed for it at Yarmouth (see Lota 

 vulgaris). Guffer-eel : Guffer and Green-bone, Scotland. Bards (Edinburgh). 

 Murcena eels, Berwick. Burbot-eel, Yorkshire (Clarke). Puit-aal, Holland. 

 Zoarces vivipare, or locally at Abbeville, Loquette, French. 



Habits. Of these but little is known : it frequents sea- weed and conceals 

 itself under stones similarly to other Blennoid forms. " Adult specimens are 

 found near the beach at Lowestoft, and in the later summer months young 

 ones, about an inch in length, are abundant in the upper part of the inner harbour 

 of Lowestoft, where they frequent the mud banks and I think burrow into them" 

 (Gurney in Norfolk Faun. p. 14). 



Means of capture. Found under stones, tang, &c, at low water-mark. In the 

 Firth of Forth Parnell observes they are taken with lines during the winter months. . 



Breeding. This fish is viviparous, bringing forth numerous young at a 

 time, according to Willughby, in the depth of winter, or, as stated by Nilsson, 

 throughout the year. Before midsummer it quits the bays and shores, retiring 

 to the deep water. In February, 1807, Dr. Neill saw a female, 15 inches long, 

 from which several dozens of young escaped alive. Parnell had an example, 

 6 inches long, sent him from which he removed fifty-six young all alive, although 

 the parent fish had been dead for nearly two days. Each was an inch and a 

 quarter in length, and on being put into a glass of fresh water they at first 

 appeared remarkably active, but in less than half-an-hour afterwards they all 

 expired. Inside the ovisac the young fish are separated by a thick and tenacious 

 fluid, which has become absorbed by the time they are ready for extrusion. 

 Willughby and others have estimated the number of young produced at one time 

 from 200 to 300. Nilsson in a fish, 12 inches in length, found 195, and in another 

 an inch longer, 262. As soon as they are born, when they would appear to be 

 often 1|- inches in length, and are able to provide for their own subsistence. 



As food. Generally held to be coarse and only eaten by the poor, but Lowe 

 says it tastes much better and fatter than other Blennies. Neill states it is 

 often brought to the Edinburgh market. At St. Andrew's a most intelligent 

 mechanic informed me that no better fish could be obtained. As observed by 

 Parnell, some consider its flesh as very fine and wholesome, while others consider 

 it dry and disagreeable. When boiled the backbone becomes of a greenish colour. 



Habitat. From the seas of northern Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic, German 

 Ocean, and round the British shores to France, Portugal, and Spain. It has 

 likewise been recorded by Kner from the coast of Decastris Bay. 



Orkneys and Zetland, very common (W. Baikie) : Moray Firth, Banff (Edward) : 

 Aberdeen (Sim) : St. Andrew's (Mcintosh) : Firth of Forth (Parnell) : Berwick 

 (Johnston). Northumberland (Thompson), the whole of the Yorkshire coast: 

 Greenwich (Yarrell). Along the south coast it is common in Hampshire 

 (Barron), but becomes very rare to the westward, only one example having been 

 recorded from Devonshire. Ireland, in county Down one example has been 

 captured (Templeton). 



The example figured natural size was from the coast of Sussex. It attains to 

 at least two feet in length. 



* Although pyloric appendages have been universally considered absent in this species, I have 

 found them in the various British examples which I have examined. They are short but wide, and 

 may be detected by inflating the intestines by means of a blow-pipe. 



