320 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



mitted a fish very rare on the east coast, Zeugopterus 

 punctatus the Whiff or Topknot, Little Harry in Cornwall 

 the Brown Fluke. It was certainly the finniest fish ever 

 produced to the members it was completely edged by fin. 

 The tail even had two little fins ; the prognathous lower 

 jaw was a very marked feature. It was accompanied by a 

 very nicely executed water-colour sketch." 



The next stage in the discussion was a letter of mine on 

 January I3th, giving a full description of the Miiller's top- 

 knot, with a pen-and-ink sketch, which was reproduced. 

 Other letters for and against my " finding" appeared in sub- 

 sequent issues, signed " G. C," " W. C. N.," and " W. J. C.'' 

 The photograph was sent for my inspection, which proved at 

 once, and conclusively, that the fish in question was no other 

 than the Miiller's topknot. This, on January 2Oth, I em- 

 phatically asserted in the same paper. 



Mr. W. J. Clarke, F.Z.S., of Scarborough, identified the fish 

 from my sketch, and wrote an interesting letter upon it, 

 dealing with its local status as follows : 



" . . . . Mr. Patterson's excellent sketch represents Muller's 

 topknot (Zeugopterus hirtus l \ a fish which turns up in the 

 trawls at Scarboro' every now and then not commonly, but 

 sufficiently so as to have earned for itself from the fisher- 

 men the local name of * velvet fish,' from the peculiarly 

 velvety feeling of the upper surface if stroked from head to 

 tail. If rubbed the reverse way the skin is rough and file- 

 like, owing to the numerous small tubercles upon the scales 

 pointing from head to tail. . . . Many thanks for allowing 

 me to see the photo [subsequently sent him] of the fish taken 

 at Folkestone. I think there is no doubt that it is Muller's top- 

 knot. ... I should imagine the capture of this species upon 

 a hook to be of unusual occurrence. I have not before heard 

 of one so taken ; all the specimens I have seen having been 

 trawled." 



" W. C. N.," in a letter on January 27th, very properly 

 complained of the Babel of names given to one and the 

 same and every species. He wrote : 



" Before leaving the Zeugopterus punctatus I must remark, 

 alas ! another name, Z. hirtus, and what seems to hurt us 

 most are its half-dozen or more aliases. What a pity it 

 seems that our naturalist friends responsible for this are not 

 more in agreement." 



1 One of its many Latin synonyms. A. H, P. 



