20 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



BLACK GUILLEMOT, U. grylle. On 3rd January one was procured 

 by Mr. Maccuish and sent to us. 



LITTLE GREBE, P. fluviatilis. I found a Dabchick lying dead in 

 the harbour on 24th September, and another appeared on 

 the pond in the ravine on ist October; it was very shy and 

 took refuge under the overhanging parts of the south bank 

 where it was well hidden. 



ROSELEA, UPPER LARGO, FIFE. 



THE DEAL -FISH OR VAAGMAER, TRACHY- 

 PTERUS ARCTICUS (BRUNN.), ON THE 

 COAST OF EAST LOTHIAN. 



By WILLIAM EVANS, F.R.S.E. 



Six months ago I had the satisfaction of recording in this 

 Magazine (1908, p. 150) the stranding of an Oar-fish at 

 Dunbar. I now have the further satisfaction of recording 

 the occurrence of a specimen of another member of the 

 same remarkable family, namely, the Deal-fish or Vaagmaer 

 (Trachypterus arcticus], near the same place. 



Early on Saturday, 28th November 1908, a fisherman 

 out gathering bait came upon a strange fish of large size 

 lying dead on the sands at high-water mark, about a quarter 

 of a mile east of Barnsness Lighthouse, near Dunbar. An 

 attempt was made by the finder and other fishermen to 

 remove the fish to Dunbar, a distance of over three miles ; 

 but the rough handling to which it seems to have been 

 subjected soon told upon it, the head being severed from 

 the body and other damage inflicted, with the result that 

 it was abandoned in a worthless condition, and subsequently 

 buried at no great distance from where it was found. For- 

 tunately Mr. George Pow, Dunbar, interested himself in the 

 matter, and having unearthed the mutilated remains, kindly 

 secured a couple of " cuts " for me, one being a transverse 

 section from about the middle of the body, the other the 

 terminal 10 inches. These I examined on 5th December, 

 and had no difficulty in identifying them as portions of a 

 Deal-fish (Trachypterus arcticus\ a view in which Mr. Eagle 

 Clarke, to whom I showed them the following day, entirely 



