ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 255 



station on the mainland of Britain. We know that the species 

 has recently much extended its nesting range in the Shetlands, to 

 which along with St. Kilda, its range in the breeding season in our 

 islands has hitherto been confined. WM. EAGLE CLARKE. 



Molva abyssorum in British waters. Ten specimens of Molva 

 abyssorum were caught by trawl twenty miles off Rona, 25th May 

 1897, and brought to Aberdeen Fishmarket. This is the second 

 occurrence of this northern form within the British area ; two having 

 oeen caught 2yth February 1895, thirty miles off Shetland, one 

 of which came into my possession. So far as I am aware, this 

 species has never been previously recorded as having been caught 

 in British waters. 



The fish differs from the common Ling in its lower jaw being 

 longest, and the chin barbel being much shorter and thinner, the 

 body being of a dusty gray colour above the lateral line and rather 

 lighter along the abdomen, all the fins being nearly black and 

 destitute of the white edging so conspicuous in the common form. 

 It differs from the common Ling internally, in the abdominal cavity 

 extending much farther behind the anal orifice ; in the liver 

 being broad and thin anteriorly, and extending posteriorly into a 

 long sharp point, that of the common Ling being the same breadth 

 throughout, and having two, sometimes three, short obtuse lobes at 

 its posterior margin. Again, abyssorum^ so far as I have seen, has 

 only from 19 to 28 pyloric coecre, while the common Ling has 

 from 20 to 40 such appendages; but this point cannot be spoken 

 to definitely until a larger number of abyssorum has been examined. 

 The teeth, both in form and arrangement, in both forms, are almost 

 identical. 



The stomach of one of the examples under notice was well filled 

 with fish scales of great size, probably that of the Wrasse. As an 

 article of food, abyssorum is excellent, its flesh being white, tender, 

 and of pleasant flavour. Those examined were females, with the 

 roe in its lowest stage of development. GEO. SIM. 



[Under the name of Molua \^ = Molva\ dypterygia (Pennant), 

 Lesser Ling, Professor Smit, in his " History of Scandinavian 

 Fishes," pt. i. pp. 521-522 (1893), describes this fish as strictly a 

 Norwegian species, living only in deep waters from 100 to 300 

 fathoms, and is common only north of Bergen and up to Finmark. 

 Now and then, however, it enters the Skager Rack, where it has been 

 taken in 35 fathoms of water. In the work quoted a fine coloured 

 portrait of this new British fish is given, plate xxvi. fig. 3. EDS.] 



Liparis montagui (Donov.) in "Forth. "--In August 1897 I 

 captured half a dozen examples two of which I handed to Mr. 

 Eagle Clarke of the little fish known as Montagu's Sucker, in rock 

 pools at North Berwick. The largest was about 2-J inches long. 

 They were resting on, but not adhering to, the fronds of Laminaria 



