170 ACANTHOPTERYGII. MAIGRE 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. XV. 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. The Bearded Umbrina 

 (PL VII.), also a valuable fish, is a still 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 Linniean 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 supplied on the point. But 

 this is not only insufficient but unsatisfactory ; be- 

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



