FISH NOTES 217 



for it altogether beyond its value. Strictly speaking, 

 a rare fish is valueless, and will remain so until stuffed 

 fishes are as attractive to the public as stuffed birds. 

 On llth June 1890 I saw a shrimper mending 

 his net by the side of the Bure. My query as to 

 whether anything curious had been got of late 

 elicited the fact that a "pal" had, that very 

 morning, shown him a " rummy " flat fish, and had 

 probably taken it home. I hunted up the catcher, 

 who said he had " chucked it into the back yard," 

 whither, at my request, he went, and fortunately 

 found the fish intact, having as by a miracle escaped 

 the prowling cats that look after the refuse fish 

 of their shrimper neighbour. On sight I saw it 

 was M tiller's Top Knot (Zeugopterus punelatus). It 

 measured 7 inches in length ; width, 4J inches ; 

 and f ths of an inch in thickness. It being the 

 first for the county, and in remarkably good 

 condition, I despatched it to Norwich Museum, 

 where it is now. I have seen three or four others 

 since. 



ECKSTROM'S TOP-KNOT 



Far more fortunate was I in the case of the 

 first and, so far, only known appearance on the 



