PRIME AND OFFAL 113 



born in that town, who lived there for nineteen years, 

 and is engaged and has been long engaged in the fishing 

 trade, told me that he had never even heard the name 

 and did not understand the description. Many a North 

 Seaman is at a loss to say what a " megrim" is; yet 

 great numbers of this fish are regularly dealt with at 

 Billingsgate. 



The megrim, as a matter of fact, was described and 

 dealt with by Yarrell, who says that its common name 

 is the seal-fish, megrim being the Cornish name for the 

 animal. The megrim was then supposed to be confined 

 exclusively to the southern coast, between Weymouth 

 and the Land's End. It seldom exceeded 4 or 5 in. 

 in length. The colour of the fish was a uniform 

 pale yellow-brown. Megrim is equivalent in meaning 

 to smooth sole. 



