H2 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



in Aberdeen fish-market, a skate which must have 

 been as big as Buckland's, and for which, apparently, 

 owing to the hot weather, there was no demand. I 

 imagine that it was taken off to be used as manure. 



Much greater halibut than that of which Buckland 

 gave particulars have been landed. In May 1911 the 

 Hull steam-trawler Mac far lane brought to Billingsgate 

 a halibut weighing 700 lb., or more than 6 cwt. This 

 monster fetched only 455., or about fd. per lb. At 

 Aberdeen, in July following, there was landed the 

 biggest halibut which was ever received in that port. 

 This fish weighed 448 lb. gross, and nearly 400 lb. when 

 gutted ; it was 8 ft. long, with a girth of 7^ ft. Still 

 larger was a specimen which was brought from Iceland 

 last year, this being 8J ft. long and weighing 33 st. 

 When cut into three parts the middle slice weighed 

 13 st. 



Some fishes are peculiar to certain localities, and so 

 much is this the case that the very names by which 

 the animals are known are not understood outside the 

 neighbourhood, any more than the Yorkshire dialects 

 are comprehended by Londoners. In the North of 

 Scotland, for example, there are fishes known as 

 "whitches," or " witches," a term unused in southern 

 places; " megrims" are a complete mystery to many 

 deep-sea fishermen a mystery as great as is the " wine- 

 drinker," an emperor of herrings, sometimes called the 

 King Herring, which, when caught, gives rise to almost 

 Druidical rites by the fishermen who secure it. This 

 creature rarely comes to the nets, and is symbolic of 

 luck if cast back at once into the sea. It appears to 

 belong to the Lowestoft district, yet a man who was 



