HABITS OF MONK-FISH. 141 



The stomacli contained nothing, but in the abdomen 

 were several eggs with soft skin Hke crocodiles' eggs. 

 In former times these eggs were dried and used medi- 

 cinally in the pharmacopoeia. The skin was powdered 

 and given in cases of itch and psoriasis. 



The most extraordinary fact about this sea monster 

 is a very strong and peculiar smell of ammonia. I do not 

 know of any fish that has this strong odour so strongly 

 marked. 



In 1875 there was a very fine monk-fish alive at the 

 Southport Aquarium, and I wrote the following ac- 

 count : — 



*' The jolly old monk-fish that our friend Parry 

 Evans caught in his royal weir at Llandudno, is in the 

 tank with the sturgeon ; this sulky monk-fish always 

 sits at the bottom of the tank, looking Hke the plaintiff. 

 As the sturgeon swam over the monk-fish he hit him 

 across the face with his tail ; this made the old monk- 

 fish jump up and scuttle about." 



The angel-fish is found in the North Sea, the British 

 Channel, the Mediterranean, and smaller specimens 

 than the above are not uncommon. It is taken on the 

 " long lines " which are set for ray, &c. It is not good 

 eating, but the rough skin is used in the arts for sword- 

 handles and instrument cases. It is a great enemy of 

 all kinds of flat-fish, and buries itself in ambuscade 

 in the sand, of which it has the power of taking the 

 exact hue. It is said to stir up the sand with its wings, 

 and when the sand-worms are disturbed, and the 

 smaller fishes come to eat them, the monk-fish suddenly 

 jumps from his ambuscade and devours them. It is 

 common on the bays of Arcachon, and, I believe, on 

 the sandy banks all along the Bay of Biscay. They are 

 frequently seen in the markets of Dieppe, and are not 



