SOME FISH NOTES 329 



two of the crew made more money, by an exhibition of it 

 to visitors, than was good for them, for they went back 

 drunk to the vessel. 



On referring to Day {British Fishes, Vol. II, p. 299), under 

 heading Lamna cornubica (Porbeagle), I find that a large 

 shark is recorded by Mr. T. E. Gunn, for July 4th, 1867, 

 and the length given as 1 1 ft. 5 in. Day remarks : " The fish 

 must attain to 11 ft. or 12 ft. in length if Mr. Gunn's was 

 this species ; it has several times been captured up to 10 ft." 

 I have records only up to 9 ft. 



SKATE LUXURIES 



When I was a lad " dried skate " was a favourite luxury 

 among the poorer classes in the town, more particularly 

 loungers who spent their Sunday mornings in aimless loafings 

 and gossips. Numbers made a pilgrimage to the inn of one 

 " Dilly " Smith, who lived at the Suspension Bridge Tavern, 

 immediately adjoining a bridge of that name. His fish- 

 house gable (still standing) in the finer days, used to be 

 festooned with hundreds of skate of various sizes and species, 

 mostly " homers " (spotted rays) and blue skate. The latter 

 was the favourite fish, being better flavoured and less spiny. 

 "Roker" (thornback rays) were by no means in request, 

 owing to their formidable skin-armour. After long drying 

 by wind and sun, until the very blue-bottles had given them 

 up as a hopeless nursery for their broods, the already 

 " scored " fish were cut into strips and sold at a halfpenny, 

 a penny, and twopence a strip, according to size and thick- 

 ness. Queerer luxuries than these huge dishes of dried 

 skate exposed for sale in the window could not be conceived, 

 unless, perhaps, some wag of a shoemaker had replaced 

 them by a display of worn-out boot-soles, which they some- 

 what resembled. It was odd, but we got used to the sight of 

 seeing a score men at a time gnawing the highly-scented 

 curiously-tasting morsels (I never could eat them myself), as 

 they wandered to the quaysides, or leant over the bridge, 

 enjoying their leisure and their occupation. You would 

 sometimes see their lips bleeding after their tit-bits had been 

 devoured. Crates of dried skates were sent from the neigh- 



