410 MODERN SEA FISHING 



most other fish water enters by the mouth and is expelled 

 through the gills. The eggs of these fish are as eccentric as 

 their layers, being contained in dark indiarubber-looking purses, 

 in shape something like well, I can think of no better simile 

 than a Spanish priest's hat. Dogfish have similar cases to their 

 eggs, and, as with the skates and rays, the egg is fertilised in the 

 body of the female. In the egg of the dogfish the four points of 

 the egg case are continued in little tendrils. In some places the 

 children call the curious egg cases of the Raiidoe skate barrows, 

 They are frequently picked up along the seashore. 



As food the skates and rays are not everywhere in high 

 repute, though crimped skate is now deemed a luxury by some 

 people. In the Hebrides I found the people eating a pungent 

 and horrible food known as ' sour skate,' the sourness being 

 effected, I understand, by simply keeping the fish until it goes bad. 



The COMMON SKATE the Raia batis of naturalists, blue 

 skate of Scotland, and grey skate of England is common 

 round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. It grows to an 

 enormous size. There is one in the British Museum which is 

 six and a half feet long, and five and a half feet across from 

 wing to wing. One is recorded from the Faroes which weighed 

 423 Ibs. Skate are immensely strong, and have a way of 

 digging their noses into the bottom, or somehow or other 

 taking grip of a rock, remaining apparently immovable. Like 

 all flat fish, as long as they keep their normal horizontal posi- 

 tion they offer great resistance. The one chance with a big 

 skate is to pull at his head as obliquely as possible (effected by 

 letting out much line) and in varying directions, until he gives 

 way, when the rest, except with very large fish, is easy. It is 

 important to keep a heavy strain on him all the time. 



Some time ago the ' Field ' recorded the capture, by an ama- 

 teur fisherman, of a skate weighing considerably over 100 Ibs. 

 It was taken off Aberystwith. 



