TORPEDO, OR ELECTRIC RAY. 225 



it yield a wholesome and substantial food, but also 

 isniglass ; and as it is a very sharp biter, and swims at 

 no great depth, it is readily taken with the line. The 

 coal fish is called in Scotland the sillock, pitlock, 

 harbin, sethe, and grey lord; in Edinburgh they are 

 called " podleys ; " in Ii'eland they are called glosong 

 or glassan ; in the Galway markets they are known as 

 *' black nuns." They run to a large size, and frequent 

 deep water. The}' are great enemies to all fish, es- 

 pecially to the herring-fry, and do immense mischief to 

 the salmon smolt. The late Mr. Ffennell, Inspector of 

 Salmon Fisheries, saw twenty-six salmon fry taken 

 from the stomach of one black sillock. 



SKATES, OR RAYS. 



We have some four or five British genera, including in 

 all about fifteen species. Of these the famed Torpedo is 

 one. The Common Torpedo, or Electric Eay, has been 

 known as existing in the English seas. 



TOKPEDO, CRAMP RAY, TURPAENA, NUMBFISH, ELECTRIC RAY. 



On the 3rd of October, 1868, when at Falmouth, I 

 received a telegram from Mr. Matthias Dunn, of Meva- 



16 



