COUCH S POLYPRION. O 



measuring five or six feet in length. Mr. Baker of Bridge- 

 water tells me, that this fish, of three feet in length, is not 

 uncommon in the Bristol Channel. Mr. Couch, in reference 

 to its habits, says, " this species approaches the Cornish 

 coast under peculiar circumstances. When a piece of tim- 

 ber, covered with barnacles, is brought by the currents from 

 the more southern regions, which these fishes inhabit, consi- 

 derable numbers of them sometimes accompany it. Tn the 

 alacrity of their exertions, they pass over the Avreck in pur- 

 suit of each other, and sometimes, for a short space, are left 

 dry on the top, until a succeeding wave bears them oflf again. 

 From the. circumstance of their being usually found near 

 floating wood covered with barnacles, it might be supposed 

 that this shell-fish forms their food ; but this does not appear 

 to be the case, since, in many that were opened, nothing was 

 found but small fishes. Perhaps these young fishes follow 

 the floating wood for the sake of the insects that accompany 

 it, and thus draw the Stone Basse after them." 



The Rev. Robert Holds worth of Brixham, who has fur- 

 nished me with many interesting notes on British fishes, 

 sends me word that on the Devonshire coast this fish is also 

 called Stone Basse and Wreck-fish, thus illustrating the 

 habits of the species as noticed by Mr. Couch, by a refer- 

 ence to the floating timbers to which the barnacles adhere, 

 and float along with them. Two paragraphs from Mr. 

 Holdsworth's letter on this fish, are as follows : — " October 

 7, 1824. The ci-ew of the Providence smack found a large 

 log of mahogany in Start Bay, covered with long barnacles, 

 and surrounded by a shoal of these fish. They jigged, — that 

 is, caught with a pole, having a barbed hook at the end, four 

 or five. I had two cooked, which I purchased of the crew of 

 the Providence, and found them excellent." Captain Ni- 

 cholls, in a voyage from St. John's, Newfoundland, to the 

 coast of Portugal, " having his ship's bottom very foul, and 



B 2 



