170 ACANTHOPTERYGII. MATGRE FAMILY. 



shire, in 1825, and more recently a fine fish, five 

 feet two inches long, was taken off the coast of 

 Northumberland. A specimen, about three feet and 

 a half in length, exists in the Museum of the Edin- 

 burgh University, which was caught about four 

 years ago in a salmon-net near Musselburgh. Mr 

 Yarrell informs us that he has seen five fresh speci- 

 mens, four of which were brought to the London 

 market, and has heard of four others : these were 

 taken on the southern coast. Some of them were 

 brought to table, and reported to be good, particu- 

 larly when stewed, being rather dry and tasteless 

 when plain boiled. 



Gen. XY. Umbrina. — The only other genus of 

 this very numerous family to be noticed is that of 

 Umbrina, which in addition to the common charac- 

 ters of the family, has a barbule or cirrus at the 

 symphysis of the lower jaw, and the spines at the 

 anal fin strong and sharp. 



(Sp. 34.) U. vulgaris. Tlie Bearded Umbrina 

 (PL VII.), also a valuable fish, is a stiU rarer visitor 

 on our coasts than the foregoing ; so much so, that 

 Mr. Jenyns very properly entertains doubts of its 

 just claims to be admitted into the British Fauna. 

 According to an extract from the Minute-book of 

 the Linntean Society, dated November 20th, 1827, a 

 specimen of this fish, weighing one hundred weight, 

 was taken in the river Exe, and this we believe is 

 all the evidence as yet supj^lied on the point. But 

 this is not only insufficient but unsatisfactory ; be- 

 cause, in its native seas, this fish has never been 



