ROCKLINGS ST. MAEY's TROUT. ^ ' 203 



brane behind the head and before the dorsal fin ; it has 

 nothing in common with the fins; hut when the'fish is 



THREE-BEARDED ROCKLiNG [Mustela vulgaris, Motella vulgaris). 



lying perfectly still, and all the fins are at rest, it is 

 often in ra^oid motion. The barbnles on the upper jaw 

 are always extended in front." 



In August, 1867, a specimen was taken off Folkestone 

 in thirty fathoms of water, w^hich is said to be a very 

 great depth for this fish. It measured eighteen inches. 

 It is called a " goss " by the Folkestone fishermen. The 

 specimen is in my museum. Another example w^as sent 

 me from Penrhyn, Bangor, in December of the same 

 year. The local name there is " the St. Mary's trout." 

 Yarrell mentions 19in. as the length of the largest he 

 ever saw. Strange to say, this specimen measured 

 19in. I cannot understand why it should be called 

 *' St. Mary's trout," except that the 8th of December 

 is the Feast of the Conception, and the monks of old 

 living near the sea generally had a " fishing weir," and 

 ** fixed engines " without end to supply fish for the fast 

 days. Possibly these fish came from the deep sea 

 about December 8th, and were hence called "St Mary's 

 trout " by the monks of Bangor Cathedral, founded a.d. 

 525. 



The Five-bearded Eockling {Gadus mustela, Motella 

 mustela) is much more common than the preceding one, 

 and is met with on most parts of the British coasts. 



