SOME FISH NOTES 301 



WHAT FISHES (AND BIRDS) SWALLOW 



In December, 1905, some interesting discussion arose in 

 the Angler's News with reference to the identity of a fish 

 taken at Folkestone ; from its description I at once decided 

 it to be a Miiller's topknot (Zeugopterus punctatus). After 

 some handing backwards and forwards of sketches, my 

 identification was accepted, although the fish itself did not 

 come into my hands. The correspondence led to a discus- 

 sion of other phases of fish-life, and " What fishes swallow " 

 made some entertaining reading. " G. G." wrote as follows: 



" SIRS, With regard to Mr. Patterson's recent letter with 

 the above heading, perhaps the enclosed may furnish an 

 interesting line. 



" ' In the stomach of a blue shark, captured off the Firth 

 of Forth recently, a boot and a stocking, were found/ 



" I think the subject of ' What fishes swallow ' very in- 

 teresting. . . ." 



Following this was a letter from Scarborough, which 

 read : 



" DEAR SIRS, As an angler-naturalist, I read with much 

 interest the notes on uncommon fishes which appear in the 

 Angler's News from time to time, and gain much useful in- 

 formation from them ... as to ' What fishes swallow.' 

 Some years ago I saw a guillemot which had been taken 

 entire out of the stomach of a large cod, and more recently 

 on opening a sprag (as small cod are called here) of 8 lb., 

 which I had caught at Cloughton Wyke, I found in its 

 stomach an entire redwing, a member of the thrush family. 

 The fish was caught in October, during which month the 

 redwings are migrating from Scandinavia to Great Britain, 

 and doubtless the example found had fallen exhausted 

 during its long journey and had been picked up by the fish. 

 I have several times found stones in the stomachs of codfish. 

 An interesting discussion might be opened upon ' What sea- 

 birds swallow,' and it appears to me, as an angler, that our 

 seabirds are receiving too much protection, and are becoming 

 far too numerous ; the quantity of fish destroyed by them 

 being something enormous. A razorbill, which I shot some 

 time ago, contained in its crop no fewer than 200 tiny whit- 

 ings, about 170 of which I was able to distinguish separately, 

 the remainder being crushed to pulp. Only a few days ago 

 I saw another bird of the same species struggling with a 



