FISHES. 267 



Mustelus vulgaris, Mull and Henle. Smooth Hound, 



Not uncommon in Orkney. They are occasionally caught in the 

 nets set for Dogfish off Orphir. 



Family LAMNIDJE. 



Lamnia cornubica (Chn.). Porbeagle, 



Common in Orkney, but not very often captured. J. G. M.-H. 



Mr. Irvine-Fortescue remembers seeing one when a boy, 

 about twenty-five years ago, which had been caught in a net set 

 for Dogfish in Scapa Flow ; it was about six feet long. 



Alopecias vulpes (Gm.). Thrasher. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle informs us that one of these Sharks was seen 

 attacking a Whale, in company with Sword-fish, in the Pentland 

 Skerries, by some fishermen from Brimms, in either 1865 or 

 1866; and in the Orkney Herald for September 1868 there is 

 a description of a like encounter seen by a Westray boat's crew 

 off Noup Head. 



Mr. W. Eeid also describes a fish which came ashore in 

 Papa Westray in 1884, which he refers to this species. Mr. 

 Irvine-Fortescue saw one being exhibited in Glasgow in or 

 about 1884, which was said to have been caught off Westray. 



Selache maxima (Gunner.). Basking Shark, 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle says this is an extremely common species, and 

 quite harmless, sometimes exceeding 27 feet in length. 



Under this heading Mr. Moodie-Heddle writes us as 

 follows : 



"There is undoubtedly another fish confounded with the 

 Basking Shark, just as there are two confused under the name 

 of White Shark. 



