RIAIGRE. 98 



It was first observed by some fisliermen, as it was endea- 

 vouring to escape from a seal ; and when taken into tlie boat, 

 made its usual purring sort of noise. A second specimen 

 was taken in a seine-net, at Start bay, on the south coast of 

 Devon, in August 1823, as communicated to the Zoological 

 Society by the Rev. Robert Holdsworth. In September 

 1834, I saw a fine specimen, five feet two inches long, in the 

 collection of Mr. John Hancock, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 

 which had been taken on the coast of Northumberland, and 

 preserved by himself ; and in the month of November in the 

 same year, a specimen, five feet four inches long, was taken by 

 some herring-fishers off the Kentish coast, and brought to the 

 London market. This fish was bought by Mr. Groves, of 

 Bond-street, who very liberally gave the skin to the Zoolo- 

 gical Society for preservation. Part of the flesh of this 

 specimen was eaten by several persons, and by all reported 

 to be good, particularly by those who prepared their por- 

 tions by stewing. When plain boiled only, it was rather 

 dry and tasteless. The two hard bones usually found just 

 within the sides of the head in fishes are larger in proportion 

 in the Maigre than in any other fish, and were supposed, the 

 older writers say, to possess medicinal virtues. According 

 to Belon, they were called colick-stones, and were worn on 

 the neck, mounted in gold, to secure the possessor against 

 this painful malady : to be quite effectual, it was pretended 

 that the wearer must have received them as a gift ; if they 

 had been purchased, they had neither preventive nor cura- 

 tive power. These ear-bones are well represented by Klein, 

 tab. 4, D. D. 



The Maigre is seldom taken less than three feet, and 

 sometimes as much as six feet, in length. It possesses many 

 of the internal characters of some of the Percidee, and has 

 very much the general external appearance of a large Basse. 



