SOME FISH NOTES 299 



naturalists considerable interest, but led to the addition of a 

 new species to the British list. While the post card was 

 still in the hands of the postman, I happened to call round 

 at Mr. Beazor's shop and saw the magnificent creature lying 

 in state on the slab in the shop window, interesting a small 

 group of spectators, who ventured many opinions upon it. 

 I at once had the fish photographed by flashlight, hanging 

 it on an easel, tail upwards, for the better display of its fins, 

 and I then sent it off to a bird-stuffer's at Norwich, writing 

 to Mr. T. Southwell, asking him to call round there and 

 see it. 



I also made a pen-and-ink drawing of the fish as it lay on 

 my table, and forwarded it to the Daily Graphic, erroneously 

 naming it, as I honestly believed it then to be, the plain 

 bonito (Auxis rochet), for the nearest approach to it in shape 

 and colouration was the plain bonito in both Day's and 

 Couch's British Fishes. Fortunately my drawing was more 

 truthful than my identification, and Mr. Southwell at once 

 noticed the extension of the first dorsal fin. The fish was 

 captured a few miles off Yarmouth by the drifter Martha, 

 which was fishing for mackerel, this species having turned 

 up in the local waters this year (1906) in unusual numbers. 



Mr. Southwell at first thought it identical with Pelamys 

 sarda, but certain markings, which were peculiarly distinct 

 when the fish was first taken, caused some hesitation in our 

 minds, although the first dorsal fin very strikingly corre- 

 sponded with that of sarda. A photograph was submitted 

 to Dr. Giinther, but he could not determine the species from 

 it, and suggested that the absence of dark bands along the 

 lower side and the mottled figures on the back pointed to 

 Auxis. Fortunately Mr. Southwell, with that desire for 

 exactness and love of correctness so characteristic of him, 

 suggested that the fish should go to the British Museum 

 authorities, so that they might settle the point, and thither 

 it went. 



On August 25th I received the following letter from 

 Mr. Southwell : 



" DEAR PATTERSON, I returned home last night and 

 found your fish, which is none the worse for its journey, also 

 a letter from Mr. Boulanger to the following effect : ' The 

 fish ... is a most interesting addition to the British 



