J 879.] OF WESTON-SUPER-MARE. 757 



pair 8 lbs. This is a new fishing-ground, having only been tried 

 about 6 months. Numbers of c-Wier fish have been taken, and recently 

 a Sturgeon. The waters close here cannot be trawled, because cod- 

 lines have been in use for about the last hundred years, and every 

 time one is sunk a large stone or two is let down with it ; consequently 

 the sea-bottom is studded with this kind of thin°\" 



Solea variegata, Donov., Variegated Sole; Solea vulgaris, 

 Gunther, the Lemon Sole; Solea minuta, Parnell, the Little Sole. 

 Have all been recorded from Somersetshire. 



Maurolicus borealis, Nilss. The Argentine. 

 Seven examples taken at Weston by Higgins. 



Salmo salar, Linn. The Salmon. 



Occasionally an example gets into one of the stationary shrimp- 

 nets in passing from the sea to the rivers or vice versd. It may be 

 observed in this place that the authorities of the Brighton Aquarium 

 have now conclusively demonstrated, what has long been known to 

 every ichthyologist, that the Parr is the young Salmon. Mr. Francis 

 Francis observes in the ' Field ' (August 2, 1879) that Mr. Berrington 

 sent from the Usk "a beautiful consignment of small Parr, to the 

 number of about twenty, about six or eight months ago, more than 

 three fourths of which are still alive. They were placed in fresh 

 water, and soon began to feed and take to their tank. From that 

 time not one has died; towards May, most of them began to assume 

 the Smolt stage. I think there were only four which failed to do 

 so, all the rest became veritable Smolts ; the four remained definite 

 Parr. Then arose the question what were we do ; should we take 

 out the Parr and leave the Smolts ; and then introduce salt water 

 gradually ? * * We therefore thought we would sacrifice the four Parr, 

 if it were necessary, as the belief formerly prevailed that to introduce 

 Parr into salt water before they assumed the Smolt stage was certain 

 death to them." He continued that salt water was gradually 

 introduced ; the Smolts became rampant with pleasure while the Parr 

 did not die. At last no fresh water remained in the tank ; it was 

 entirely marine. "Then the Parrs which had remained Parrs up to 

 that time began to assume the Smolt stage, and now every one 

 are brilliant active Smolt, miniature Salmon in fact, and as different 

 fish from the duller and more inactive Parr as one could conceive." 



Belone vulgaris, Flemm. The Gar-fish or Gar-pike. 

 Is occasionally taken off Weston. 



SCOMBERESOX SAURUS, Walb. 



The Skipper has been taken in Somersetshire. Mr. Dunn sent 

 me a good example, 1 1 inches long, in September this year, which he 

 observes "sprang into a fisherman's boat at midnight. I have 

 known nearly a dozen similar instances." 



