THE BLACK FISH. 23 



length 12in., depth Sin. This example differed a little 

 from the specimen plate given by Mr. Couch in his 

 ' History of JFishes,' the sides of this fish being slightly 

 spotted with white, clearly to be seen when fresh. 

 This is the fourth fish of this kind known to have been 

 taken here, and all in mackerel nets. In each instance 

 they seemed to be acting the part of pilot fishes to some 

 variety of shark, and w^hich had been entangled in the 

 net close by it. The above-mentioned specimen was 

 caught near a porbeagle shark." 



My friend Dr. Francis Day, late Inspector of Fisheries 

 for India, has kindly sent me the following note : " The 

 Centroloplius pomjnhis, or Black Fish, has a very curious 

 history, which I worked out some months since, but 

 have not yet published." The first British specimen was 

 recorded by Jago : it was taken May 26, 1721, on the 

 Cornish coast. In 1830-31 Couch re-discovered the 

 fish. I have records of about ten others taken in Great 

 Britain. I was given a specimen at the Berlin Inter- 

 national Fishery Exhibition which came from the 

 Mediterranean. 



BULLHEAD. ^, .^ 



Acanthopteri. . Sderogenidcz. 



{Cottus gohio.) 



Local names : Miller's Thumb, Bullhead, River Bullhead, Tommij 

 Locj(je, Tom Culls. French : Chabot commune. German : 

 Der Kaulkopf, Die Muhlkoppe Botzkolbe, Groeppe, Griippe, 

 Koppe, Der Kautzenkopf. 



This little fish is found in rivulets and brooks about old 

 timber bridges, where they look like mice running up and 

 down close to the woodwork. He has an enormous head 

 and mouth and a very sharp-pointed body. On each 

 side of his head there is a very sharp needle-pointed 



