288 TRANSACTIONS, NATCRAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



waters it attains a length of 7 or 8 inches. The 

 chief interest in the specimen under notice is its size. 

 When brought to me in the wet state it was fully 

 8} inches in length. As I had not at the time a 

 proper vessel to preserve it in, I dried it, which has 

 caused it to shrink a little. It is still, however, 

 almost 8h inches in length. 



A few years ago I exhibited before this Society 

 a specimen of the same species about 2\ inches long, 

 and I have since seen one or two about the same 

 size. So far as I can learn from the fishermen, this 

 fish does not seem to be often noticed in the Firth 

 of Clyde. The man from whom I had the present 

 specinaen did not remember of ever having seen one 

 resembling it. A fish not usually exceeding 7 or 8 

 inches in length, and seldom attaining that size, can 

 scarcely be considered marketable ; and the fisher- 

 men do not, as a rule, care to take much notice of 

 captures which do not bring them bread. This may 

 account, in some measure, for such small species 

 not being more frequently brought under notice. The 

 fishermen, in the course of their daily employment, 

 have great opportunities of getting rarities ; and it 

 is a pity that these treasures, found and thrown 

 away, cannot be more fully utilised. There is no 

 want of shrewdness among our fishermen ; and if 

 there could be any means of enlisting their interest 

 in the subject, there can be no doubt that they would 

 become important auxiliaries in bringing to our 

 knowledge many of the novelties of the deep Many 

 of our greatest works on marine zoology have been 

 much indebted to the labours of the fishermen. 



Pleurobbanchus plumula, Mont. 



[Re.nd 29th Seiitember, 1891.] 



The specimen now exhibited to the Society was 

 taken under stones at the Allans, Cumbrae, at low 

 water during spring tides. 

 At a meeting of this Society about twentj^-nine 



