212 AN EAST COAST NATURALIST 



An exceedingly odd example was taken in January 

 1899. It measured 13 inches in length. Not only 

 did the upper jaw protrude somewhat beyond the 

 average, and was, moreover, singularly pointed, but 

 the under jaw receded, leaving a space, when closed, 

 equal to half a walnut in the mouth. To counteract 

 this deformity, the tongue was rounded and enlarged 

 to the size of a marble, which effectually blocked 

 the gullet when necessary. Laid upon its back, the 

 fish was curiously shark -like about the mouth. 

 It was figured in the Morning Leader of 24th 

 January. 



A Codling brought to me in October 1903, stunted 

 and thick-set, deserves mention. Stunted Cods are 

 on dissection generally found to have the anterior 

 portion of the vertebra closely coalesced, but in this 

 instance the malformation was so striking at both 

 ends of it that it had very much the appearance of 

 a Roach or Bream. The vertebrae on examination 

 proved to have had this process well defined at each 

 end of it. The fish was only one foot in length ; of 

 this, the head, to the edge of the gill-covers, occupied 

 fully one-third. 



