1902 Six Uncommon British Sea-Fish 7 



for this journal. Along the coast of Norfolk, where gunners 

 are in much evidence, it is no uncommon thing to encounter 

 the remains of a meal, the carcass of some wild fowl picked 

 clean by the crows. If one is fortunate, the whole proceed- 

 ings may be seen : the fall of the wounded bird, the advent 

 of a single crow, the gathering of his comrades, the slaying 

 and quick dismemberment of the unfortunate victim, midst 

 much quarrelling and croaking. Such a scene Mr Southgate 

 had in view in this picture, the old crow standing over a 

 wounded redshank, " Merciless yet merciful." 



Six Uncommon British Sea=Fish. 



By F. G. Aflalo, F.Z.S., F.R.G.S. 



In selecting half a dozen "uncommon" British sea-fishes 

 for passing notice in the opening number of ' The Field 

 Naturalist's Quarterly,' regard has been had rather for that 

 meaning of the word which denotes the possession of some 

 remarkable or interesting character — something in the form 

 or habits which lends itself to description for those interested 

 in natural history. The mere fact of scarcity of appearance 

 in British seas is, after all, of interest rather to the specialist 

 in the geographical distribution of fishes. Our choice might, 

 for instance, have fallen on one of the coral-fishes (Holo- 

 canthus tricolor), which has been once taken, near Stornoway, 

 off our coasts ; or on the Norway bullhead, also once 

 trawled off the Mull of Kintyre ; or, again, on the black 

 pilot {Pammelas perciformis) and derbio {Lichia glauca), like- 

 wise taken once only within British territorial waters ; but 

 the very rarity of their occurrence only proclaims how very 

 limited is our knowledge of their habits. Again, a fish may, 

 in the literal sense, be common or the reverse according to 

 the point of view. During a portion of the year the writer 

 resides within easy reach of Plymouth, and pays frequent 

 visits to the Barbican when the weekly trawlers are bringing 

 in their spoils, and many fishes that would be exceedingly 

 uncommon on the slab of London fish-shops, more suited as 



