276 FISHES. 



Division ACANTHOPTERYGII BLENJSTIIFORMES. 

 Family BLENNIIDJE. 



Anarrhichas lupus, L. Wolf-fish. 



Low says this very ugly fish is often caught at sea, and sometimes 

 thrown ashore after storms ; he adds that it is excellent 

 eating, though none are very fond of it. Mr. Moodie-Heddle 

 also says it occurs among the islands. 



Blennius ocellaris, L. Butterfly-fish. 



A specimen of this rare fish is recorded by the late R. Heddle as 

 having been taken in the Orkneys in 1849, but there are no 

 particulars given. 



Blennius ascanii, Walb. Crested Blenny. 



Recorded as very common at times about Kirkwall by W. Baikie, 

 and Mr. C. Traill observed it in Rousay as early as 1856. 



Centronotus gunellus, L. Butter-fish, 

 Ore. = SwordicL 



Very common, and recorded by Low as such. Mr. Moodie- 

 Heddle's father has found the variety (Purple Blenny ?) men- 

 tioned by Low. 



It was somewhere about the spring of 1871 that Mr. 

 Moodie-Heddle first noticed the " Swordick " breeding on the 

 shores of the north side of Longhope, Hoy. He observed 

 several small masses of spawn with a pair of these fish lying 

 curved so as to make nearly a circle round each mass : when 

 removed, the fish returned to the same spot repeatedly. 

 The situation chosen was under large stones, among which 

 were numbers of crabs of different sorts, eels, starfishes, 

 Viviparous Blennies, etc. It seems most probable that fish 



