SEA-SEEPENT EXHIBITED IN REGENT STREET. 199 



of the north isles of Norway, I wrote to several parties 

 to be on the look-out for specimens to send me, and 

 the three mentioned above were the resnlt. Along 

 stretches of sandy bays, where these fishes are found 

 occasionally after stoims, it is difficult to get hold of a 

 good specimen. The lesser black-backed gulls, being 

 ever on the watch at such places, seeking what they 

 can devour, are always in at the death ; and as the 

 fish is as thin as a deal — hence its Orkney name, deal- 

 fish — and are very tender, they are soon mutilated." 



I well recollect going with my Father and Sir Kobert 

 Peel to inspect a so-called ''sea-serpent" which was 

 exhibited in Eegent Street. This creature was figured 

 in the Illustrated Xens, June 2, 1849. By tlie courtesy 

 of the proprietors of that journal, I have hunted up the 

 number in which the figure and description is given, 

 as follows: — "Annexed is the 'presentment' of the 

 rare fish caught off Cullercoats on March 26, and ex- 

 hibited for a short time at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It 

 proves to be a fine specimen of the Regalacus tjlesne, of 

 the family of ribbon fishes, so named from their flat 

 form. The fish when taken was as bright and shining 

 as the newest silver ; but after its death the beautiful 

 iridescence left it. It was stated that the length of this 

 specimen was 12 feet 3 inches ; immediately behind the 

 gills 8^ inches in depth; greatest depth, 11| inches; 

 greatest thickness, 3|- inches." 



HAIRTAIL. 



Silvery Hair tail {Tridiiurus lepturus). This beautiful 

 fish used to be considered very rare, and only two im- 

 perfect specimens are mentioned by Couch. Neverthe- 

 less, on the 7th of December, 1870, I had no less than 



