SCOMBRESOCID^E. 153 



course. As a rule in the Orkneys and Zetland rare (W. Baikie) : Banff rare 

 (Edward): Aberdeen (Sim): St. Andrews not uncommon (Mcintosh): enters 

 the Firth of Forth almost every autumn in considerable shoals, and being stupid 

 inactive fishes are found in hundreds on the shallows when the tide retires, 

 with their long noses imbedded in the mud (Pennant). The same author records 

 great numbers having been thrown ashore on the Leith sands near Edinburgh, 

 after a great storm in November, 1768. In Yorkshire is occasionally taken in 

 harbours and shallow waters but is reported from Scarborough only (Yorkshire 

 Vertebrata). An example about 15 inches long was taken off Norfolk in October, 

 1843 (Fisher) : off Devonshire occasionally appears in large numbers, and Parfitt 

 (Fauna of Devon) remarks that he saw a great many taken in a seine off Seaton 

 in 1870. Not uncommon, often abundant off Cornwall. Mr. Cornish (Zool. p. 

 1463) observes upon one having been pumped up on board a fishing boat in 

 September, 1868 : the same author remarks upon its being well known off Welsh 

 ports. At Swansea Dillwyn never heard of it except on Turton's authority. 



In Ireland Templeton observed that it is seldom found on the coast, and he was 

 never able to procure a specimen until one was caught near Long Bridge, Belfast, 

 in 1820. Thompson received one 12f inches long from Belfast, stranded after a 

 gale on September 17th, 1840, a second was also taken, and a third on October 

 7th. Sampson includes it among the fish of Deny. Ogilby (Zool. 1876, p. 4753) 

 observes that it is decidedly rare on the north coast : he obtained one example, 

 cast ashore at Portrush, co. of Antrim, during the last week in September, 1875, 

 while but few years pass without some examples being obtained there in this 

 manner. Newcastle, co. Down (Thompson). The specimen obtained was taken 

 on a handline, when fishing for bream, westward of Crowrock, on a fine night. 

 They not unfrequently leap into the canoes (Andrews) : the same author refers 

 to one taken at Ballina in the county of Sligo. 



The example figured is 11 inches long from Mevagissey. This fish attains to 

 18 inches in length. 



