FISHES 



had not the least doubt of its being this species. 

 This is the first instance of its occurrence on 

 the Norfolk coast. 



Mr. A. Patterson mentions the capture of 

 three specimens, at Yarmouth, in shrimp nets 

 (Trans. Norf. and Nor. Nat. Soc, vol. v. p. 

 228). 



25. Transparent Goby. Aphia pellucida, 



Nardo. 

 On June 9th, 1890, a specimen of this 

 fish, which is new to Norfolk, was brought 

 to Mr. A. Patterson. Several others were 

 afterwards found. The species was deter- 

 mined by Dr. Gunther [Trans. Norf, and Nor. 

 Nat. Soc, vol. V. p. 228). 



26. John Dory. Zeus faber^ Linn. 



' Hitherto considered rare, but this summer 

 (1834) several have been caught on the 

 Knowl by the turbot-fishers.' — Paget. 



' Occasionally, but not frequently, sent 

 from Yarmouth to the Norwich market.' — 

 J. H. G. 



' One, 2 feet long, 8| lb., taken amongst 

 herrings at Yarmouth, contained seven her- 

 rings.' — A. P. {Trans. Norf. and Nor. Nat. 

 Soc, vol. vi. p. 3). 



* One taken in a lobster-pot oflF Sherring- 

 ham, October ist, 1881.' — T. S. 



27. Boar-fish. Capros aper, Linn. 



Has not been previously recorded as occur- 

 ring in Norfolk. Mr. A. Patterson of Yar- 

 mouth (July 9th, 1 881) found a specimen on 

 a shrimper's board. It had been caught the 

 same morning ; it measured 5 inches in 

 length, and was of a lovely carmine colour. 

 Mr. Southwell informs me that a second 

 specimen was found dead on Yarmouth beach. 

 May I St, 1882. The boar-fish was first re- 

 corded as having been taken off the British 

 coast in 1825. It was regarded as so great a 

 rarity that one found on the beach at Brighton 

 in 1842 was considered worthy of presenta- 

 tion to Her Majesty the Queen. H.R.H. 

 the Prince Consort was the first who correctly 

 identified the fish as Capros aper. Since that 

 time it has occurred, in some numbers, on the 

 south coast, scarcely a year passing without 

 its being met with. In 1877 it was taken in 

 great numbers on the south coast, and one 

 was found as far north as Grimsby. In 1879 

 it was again numerous on the south and east 

 coasts, where it is met with every year, 

 occasionally in large quantities. 



28. Scad, Horse-mackerel. Caranx trachurus, 



Linn. 

 One which I saw taken in the Norfolk 

 Estuary weighed 2 lb. Paget says that at 



Yarmouth ' it is rarely caught, and those that 

 are taken are generally small.* 



' Fifteen inches long ; very common.' — 

 A. Patterson. 



' Before the herrings,' says Sir T. Browne, 

 ' there commonly cometh a fish about a foot 

 long, by fishermen called a horse, resembling 

 in all points the Trachurus of Rondeletius.' 



Mr. H. M. Upcher tells me he has seen 

 large numbers of the scad in chase of small 

 fry along the coast at Sherringham, and so 

 intent in the pursuit as to be easily taken with 

 a landing-net. The beach was quite covered 

 with small fish which were stranded on the 

 shingle after leaping from the water to escape 

 their pursuers. 



29. Mackerel. Scomber scombrus, Linn. 

 Yarmouth : ' Abundant.' — P. 



' Sometimes they are of a very large size ; 

 and one taken this year (1668), which was by 

 measure an ell long, and of the length of a 

 good salmon, at Lowestoft.' — Sir Thomas 

 Browne. 



Mr. Couch says the largest he ever saw 

 measured half an inch over 2 feet. 



Mr. R. D. Massingham, harbour-master of 

 Lowestoft, in a letter to Mr. Southwell, No- 

 vember 9th, 1875, comments on the unusual 

 fact of a large number of mackerel having 

 been taken at that late season of the year. 

 He says : * The large quantity of mackerel 

 landed at our market this autumn is a very 

 unusual thing, as they are only, as a rule, 

 caught on this coast in May and June.' 



' No less than 3 lasts were brought in by 

 one fishing-boat, October 20th, 1898.' — T. S. 



Mr. A. Patterson has recorded the follow- 

 ing varieties of this species : var. punctatus, 

 scriptus, concolor. 



30. Plain Bonito. Auxis rochet, Risso. 



'Two which were taken in June, 1839, 

 off Yarmouth, and came into Mr. Yarrell's 

 possession ' [British Fishes, vol. i. p. 1 60). 



' A third, also taken off Yarmouth, July, 

 1847, is now in the museum of the Cam- 

 bridge Philosophical Society.' — T. E. Gunn. 



31. Tunny. Orcynus thynnus, Linn. 



Mr. Gurney writes : ' An immature speci- 

 men taken off the Suffolk coast, near South- 

 wold, I believe, is preserved in the Norwich 

 Museum.' 



'Small specimens not unfrequently taken 

 during the mackerel fishery.' — Paget. 



T. E. Gunn mentions one taken at Yar- 

 mouth, October 6th, 1870, 6 feet 9 inches 

 in length, 4 feet 4 inches in girth, weight 

 224 lb. 



203 



