FISHES 



63. Turbot. Rhombus maximus, Linn. 

 Norfolk Estuary. Yarmouth. — P. 



This and the following species are men- 

 tioned by Sir T. Browne : 'The great rhom- 

 bus or turbot, aculeatus et levis.'' 



In the U Estrange Household Book, a.d. 

 1519 : 'Item. — A fresh turbutt, ij". iiij''.' 



'One with white under face, notched in 

 the usual place. The travelling eye in the 

 notch opened both sides. Saw it May 24th, 

 1898.'—^. P. 



64. Brill. Rhombus lavis, Linn. 



Norfolk Estuary : common. Yarmouth. 

 —P. 



U Estrange Household Book : ' Item. — Paid 

 to John Syft for a brattcocke, viij''.' Sir T. 

 Browne refers to this in the following distich 

 (M. S. Sloan, 1784) with the explanatory 

 note : — 



' Of wry-mouthed fish ! give me the left side 

 black,i 

 Except the sole,^ which hath the noblest smack.' 



Mr. Gurney informs me that ' from thirty 

 to forty years ago a flat fish was commonly 

 caught about Wells, which was locally called 

 a " bradcock " ; but I have not been able to 

 ascertain its scientific name.' 



The term is still used here with reference 

 to the brill. 



'February 13th, 1892, a perfect albino of 

 this species was brought into Yarmouth. Both 

 sides were white, the extreme edge of the fins 

 merging into yellowish grey. Length, 15 

 inches.' — A. P. {Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. v. 

 p. 326). 



65. Common Topknot. Zeugopterus punctatus, 



Bloch. 



'A specimen, 7^ inches in length, by 4^ 

 inches in width, was brought by a shrimper, 

 June nth, 1890. This, the first observed 

 Norfolk specimen, is now in the Norwich 

 Museum.' — A. P. {Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. 

 V. p. 229). 



'Another specimen, the second, 6^ inches 

 long, and 3^^ inches wide, was taken off 

 Smith's Knowle, March 4th, 1894. One, 

 on January 20th, 1896 ; two, January 17th; 

 and five, February 3rd, 1898.' — A. P. 



66. Sail Fluke, Megrim. Lepidorhomhus me- 



gastoma, Donov. 

 Norfolk Estuary, June i8th, 1875. — R. 

 Elwes, Esq. 



This is the only specimen which I have 



1 As turbot, bret, bretcock, skulls. 

 * Which is black on the right side, as also butts, 

 sandaps, and flounders. 



seen. It is hitherto unrecorded as a Norfolk 

 species. 



' A small specimen, about 5 inches long, 

 was taken in the shrimp-nets at Yarmouth, 

 May 3rd, 1893.' — A. P. This is the second 

 recorded in Norfolk. 



67. Plaice. Pleuronectes platessa, hinn. 

 Common. 



Although not an extremely large fish, one, 

 of which Mr. A. Patterson sends me a note, 

 is worth recording. It weighed 10 lb. 12 oz., 

 and was taken at Yarmouth, November 7th, 

 1892. 



'Item. — Paid for x plaices, iij''.' — L'Es- 

 trange Household Book. Abnormality {Trans. 

 Nat. Hist. Soc, 1898, p. 408) worthy of 

 mention.' — A. P. 



68. Smear Dab, Lemon Dab. Pleuronectes 



microcephalus, Donov. 

 Norfolk Estuary. 



69. Pole or Craig Fluke. Pleuronectes cyno- 



glossus, Linn. 



On February nth, 1892, Mr. A. Patter- 

 son met with a specimen of this fish, which 

 he forwarded to Dr. Gunther, who confirmed 

 its identity. It measured 18 inches in length. 

 Two others, which measured 8 and 10 

 inches, were sold on March 14th, 1892 

 {Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc, vol. v. p. 324). 



Not previously recorded as a Norfolk fish. 



Two examples at Yarmouth : April 3rd, 

 1895, January 20th, 1896. The former in 

 Cambridge Museum. — A. P. 



This fish, locally known as the ' witch,' 

 is not unfrequently seen in the Yarmouth 

 Fish Wharf. 



70. Dab. Pleuronectes limanda, Linn. 

 **7i. Flounder. Pleuronectes flesus, Linn. 



Norfolk Estuary : common. Yarmouth. 

 —P. 



Breydon, May 6th, 1893. 19^ inches 

 and \']\ inches, by 10^ inches ; weight, 3 

 lb. 4 oz. Another, 22 inches by 13I inches, 

 November, 1892. — A. P. 



' Small flounders occur in the Yare, as 

 high up as the New Mills at Norwich, 

 which is the first stoppage in the river to fish 

 ascending from the sea.' — J. H. G. 



I have frequently seen specimens caught in 

 the Ouse, which were affected with a peculiar 

 skin disease resembling epithelioma — large 

 fungous growths cropping out all over the 

 body. The granulations large and roe-like — 

 under microscope consisting of large nucleated 

 cells. 



