the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club. 15 



with red lines, and by leather-like fins ; and these peculiarities 

 were not the effects of disease, for the fish was in good con- 

 dition, and perfectly sound. At the same meeting I presented 

 to the club a list of the less common fishes found on the coast 

 of Berwickshire, of which list the most remarkable, for their 

 rarity at least, were the common tope *, the starry ray f, of 

 which I have had several specimens brought me, the top-knot J, 

 the toothed gilt-head §, the lunulated gilt-head ||, the sea 

 perch 4> the basse f , the horse mackerel *•*, the fifteen- spined 

 stickleback ff, which is by no means uncommon on this coast, 

 and is occasionally taken at the mouth of our river during the 

 summer months. Besides these, there have occurred four 

 species, which, in our latest system of British animals, are 

 said to be confined to the " English coast;" and which may 

 therefore be considered as additions to the fishes of the Scot- 

 tish shores. These are, the greater weaver % J, inaccurately 

 characterised by Dr. Fleming; the lesser spotted dog-fish^, 

 the hag-worm ||||, and the tadpole fish 4-4-. The hag-worm, so 

 remarkable for the peculiarities of its structure, is, according 

 to the testimony of our fishermen, rather common on the 

 coast of Berwickshire ; and the size of the specimens I have 

 seen, and I am assured they are not larger than the average, 

 is much superior to what is stated in our systematic works ; 

 for, instead of 8 in., they were 14 in. and 15 in. in length. Gf 

 the tadpole fish, which is one of the rarest British species, and 

 previously known only as an inhabitant of the shores of Corn- 

 wall, I had the pleasure of exhibiting to you a living specimen, 

 which had been captured in Berwick Bay. When alive, and 

 when recently dead, the body appeared everywhere smooth and 

 even ; but, after having lain three days on a plate, and become 

 a little shrivelled, there appeared an obscure row of tubercles, 

 running backwards from the pectoral fins, and these pea-like 

 tubercles could be more readily distinguished by drawing 

 the finger over the skin. I would call attention to this fact, 

 because the only good distinction between the Raniceps trifur- 

 catus, and R. Jago of Dr. Fleming, is derived from the pre- 



* 5qualus Galeus Lin., Galeus vulgaris Flem. 



\ iZaia radiata Donov. % Pleuronectes punctatus Pen. 



§ 5parus dentatus Stew., Brdma marina Flem. 



|| *Sparus auratus Lin. 



4- Perca marina Lin., £erranus norvegicus Flem. 



1[ Perca Labrax Lin. 



** Scomber TYachiirus Lin., CTrachurus vulgaris Flem. 



Jj- Gasterosteus Spinachia Lin., Spinachia vulgaris Flem. 

 \ Trachinus major Flem. 

 $$ tfqualus Catulus Lin., Scjllium C'atulus Flem. 

 " || M yxine glutinosa Lin. 

 4- Batrachoides trifurcatus Dawes, Raniceps trifurcatus Flem. 



