32 
the height of summer, from June to August, while in the 
Mersey the best hauls were in November and December. 
Wuitinc—Both in the Horse Channel and in the 
Mersey district the whiting seems most abundant in 
summer, the largest hauls being taken in July and August. 
After that the numbers fall off and remain comparatively 
small during the winter, then rise somewhat in February, 
and fall again in March, April and May, after which they 
rise to the maximum in July. 
PARASITES AND ABNORMALITIES IN FIsH. 
All the fish which pass through our hands are carefully 
examined in order to detect the presence of parasites or 
abnormalities. A collection is being formed of the Cope- 
poda (generally known as ‘‘ Fish-lice”’) obtained from 
the bodies of the fish. These Copepoda have been exam- 
ined for us by Mr. I. C. Thompson, F.L.5., who reports 
that he has identified the following :— 
Parasites—From the Cod—Caligus rapaz and C. 
curtus. From the Hake—Anchorella appendicu- 
lata. From Flounder and from Arnoglossus meg- 
astoma—Lepeoptheirus pectoralis. From the Sprat 
Lerneonema spratta. 
Various abnormalities have been also found, including 
a blind cod and a number of ‘‘ reversed” flat-fish—speci- 
mens of Dabs and Flounders in which the young animal 
has evidently settled down upon its right in place of upon 
its left side, the result beg that the side which is usually 
blind has both eyes upon it and the side which is usually 
pigmented is white. A condition not uncommonly met 
with amongst flat-fish, especially in the plaice, is the 
partial or entire pigmentation of the lower, usually colour- 
less, side. In these cases the upper side is in its usual 
pigmented condition. 
