164 SAIL FLUKE. 



and it sometimes liaj^pens that by them the gulls are disappointed 

 of their ^ prize. 



The interest attached to the possession and examination of 

 such a fi^h has necessarily led to enquiry after it in the 

 regions to which it was supjDosed to be confined; and in doing 

 this I have been materially and kindly aided by the proffered 

 assistance of Mr. John G. Iverach, of Kirkwall, whose earlier 

 efforts, however, were only successful in j^rocuring the information 

 that the Sail Fluke had not been met with there for several 

 years. At last, however, we have been more fortunate, and 

 two examples were obtained in the Island of North Ronaldshay, 

 by j\Ir. Charles Thomson; who has kindly contributed to the 

 progress of scientific knowledge by sending them to Kirkwall 

 to the care of ]Mr. Iverach, by whom they were dispatched, 

 enclosed" in salt, to me; and it is from these s^iecimens that our 

 figure and description have been taken. I have not been informed 

 of the manner in which these examples were caught; but it 

 is proper to observe that in this instance the gulls have been 

 deprived of their banquet, for no mutilation was to be discerned, 

 and the liver remained within its proper cavity. 



From examination, however, we are led to conclude that, 

 although the remarkable habits above referred to as being 

 observed in Orkney, have not been noticed in our south and 

 western districts, the fish itself scarcely aj^pears to be rare 

 with us. It is judged by Dr. Gunther to be the "WTriff, {R. 

 megastoma of authors;) and although we find it to differ in 

 some portion of its character, as we shall see, from that of the 

 subgenus in which that gentleman arranges it, it so closely 

 approaches to what we know of that sj^ecies, that we do not 

 question the fact; although from comparison, as they lie 

 together, we are further led to conclude that the Carter of 

 Cornish fishermen must be set down as a distinct species. 

 The difference between them, as well regarding structure as 

 habit, will more particularly apj)ear when we have described 

 the last mentioned fish; but at jDresent we only remark that 

 the English examjiles of what we sujDpose to be the Sail 

 Fluke, like those of Orkney, have not been known to take 

 a bait; nor has it been found enclosed in nets that have been 

 used near the land. It is in the trawl only that we have 

 known them obtained at Phinouth and Falmouth; and it is 



