The Zoologist — November, 1867. 901 



Notes of a Slay at Prussia Cove. By Thomas Cornish, Esq. 



I came to this little cove (opening S.E.), for a few week's fishing, four 

 weeks ago, and from that time to the present we have only had two 

 periods, of less than ten hours each, during which the wind was any- 

 thing west of S.W. or east of south — a remarkable thing for August 

 month ; consequently 1 have only been able to do rough-weather 

 fishing. 



I have taken the "small-eyed" or "painted" ray (Rayii micro- 

 cellata), in numbers which justify one in saying it is common here. 

 Altogether I have taken eighteen specimens, of which three were 

 males ; the two largest of the whole were males : all were taken by 

 bait of pilchard and by hook : T have not shot my spillers once without 

 taking some. I have in former years taken this same ray in this cove, 

 but not so numerously. It is well known to the fishermen here by 

 the name of " the owl." I have had two specimens (a male and female) 

 preserved for our Museum ; and, on examining them since they have 

 been set up, I observe that the row of spines which extends from just 

 behind the eyes to the origin of the caudal fin (or rather to the origin of 

 the dorsal fin which immediately precedes the upper lobe of the caudal) 

 is not single throughout, but here and there breaks up into little 

 bunches of small spines. The male also has, on the first convex curve 

 of the anterior margin of the wing, a bunch of spines (I might with 

 propriety say hooks), very fine, arranged in irregular rows, and in my 

 specimens — fourteen in number — it also has two rows of similar spines 

 or hooks just inside the extreme margin of each wing. The female 

 has not any of these spines. 



A specimen of the short sun-fish (Orthogariscus mola) has been 

 brought on shore since I have been here. It was three feet four inches 

 in length over all : four feet one inch from lip to tip of its dorsal and 

 ventral fins, and two between the bases of the same fins. The head 

 was, as usual, the broadest portion of the fish, and was nine inches 

 broad. The head was one foot two inches in depth through the eye, 

 which was nearly two inches in diameter. The eye appeared to be 

 larger, and the whole shape of the fish more triangular than those of 

 the other specimens which I have seen, but I think these were merely 

 accidental variations. 



When I could not get to sea I amused myself by catching the 

 common shanny, and observing some of its habits. Not only are these 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. II. 3 K 



