540 Part III. — Twentieth Annual Report 



deen. Day records a specimen found by Sim in 1885 on the beach 

 at Aberdeen after a storm. It doubtless had been carried from the 

 deep water a little off the shore ; but it must be rare, since numerous 

 hauls of the fine net have been made there and no other specimen 

 procured. 



The Twaite Shad {Clupea Jinta, L.). 



Three specimens of this species were obtained, one on 6th January, 

 1902, eight miles E.N.E. of Aberdeen, which measured 416 mm.; one 

 on 18th January in the Firth of Forth, wliich measured 372 mm.; and 

 the third on 8th January, three or four miles off Montrose, which 

 measured 230 mm. 



The Red Mullet (MuUus surmuletus, L.). 



On 16th December a specimen of this species was taken in the small- 

 meshed net in 57 fathoms, nine miles south-east from Aberdeen; it 

 measured 112 mm. Another was caught by a trawler eight miles south- 

 east from Girdleness — and therefore in the same locality — on 12th 

 December, and landed. A third specimen was caught by a trawler on 

 27th January, 50 miles E.S.E. from Noss Head, it measured 309 mm., 

 and weighed 12^ ounces. 



The Red Gurnard {Triyla ciicidtcs, L.). 



In the course of the trawling work specimens of this species were 

 occasionally caught. A female, measuring 336 mm., and with ovaries 

 nearly ripe, was taken on 29th June, in eight fathoms, in Aberdeen 

 Bay; another, 268 mm. in length, on 16th December, in 57 fathoms, 

 nine miles south-east from Aberdeen ; one was caught in Burghead 

 Bay in 7-15 fathoms on 1st July, and other six in the same place on 

 2nd and 3rd August ; seven were taken on 8th November, in 23-24 

 fathoms, off Lybster, Caithness, and one in 26 fathoms in the same 

 locality on 18th January. 



The Black Sea Bream (Cantharus lineafus (Montagu) ). 



■ Two specimens were caught by trawlers, one on the 5th January, six 

 miles south-east from Tod Head, and the other on 8th January, seven 

 miles east from Girdleness. The lattei- specimen measured 414 mm. in 

 extreme length, 133 mm. in extreme height, and weighed 2 lbs. 4^ ozs. 



The Great Silver Smelt {Argentina situs, Nilsson). 



Specimens of this species from the deep water off the Shetlands were 

 described in last year's Report. Since then a number of specimens 

 have come into my possession from the same region, which were landed 

 at the market at Aberdeen. They are occasionally brought ashore by 

 trawlers, but fetch a poor price, a cwt. realising, for example, two 

 shillings and ninepence. Trawling skippers say they can be got at any 

 time in 100 fathoms, about 190 to 200 miles E.N.E. from Buchan Ness, 

 but that, commercially, they are not worth bringing ashore. They may 

 be got, I am informed, as far south as about 90 miles N.-E. ^ E. from 

 Buchan Ness. In referring to this species last year the fact was over- 

 looked that it was first described as British by Mr. E. W. L. Holt from a 

 specimen obtained in 74 fathoms about 75 miles true south of the Old 



