Ichthyological Notes from the Scarborough District. 59. 



Porbeagle Shark (Lamna cormibica). — This Shark is a 

 regular and not uncommon visitor to Yorkshire waters during 

 the warm months, and although during the past two years 

 fewer examples have been landed, that is solely due to the 

 smaller number of vessels engaged in the herring fishery, and to 

 the fact that they have fished closer inshore. The specimens 

 seen during 1915 and 1916, indicate that there has been no 

 falling off in the numbers of this fish which have visited our 

 coast. Most of the examples range from ^\ to 6 feet in length, 

 and seldom exceed the latter, although I have a note of one 

 stranded in Burniston Bay on March 3rd, 1911, which measured 

 8£ feet. 



. Picked Dogfish (Acanthias vulgaris). — This destructive 

 species has for several years past been exceptionally numerous 

 off Scarborough, and great numbers of them have been landed 

 by the trawlers and herringers. Formerly thrown away as 

 worthless, they have of late years gradually increased in favour 

 as an article of food, being skinned and sold as ' deep sea 

 Gurnards.' Among the smaller species, a few Tope (Galeus 

 canis) can generally be seen, and they also are now sold as food. 



In Freshwater fishes, the following records are of interest : — 



Planer's Lamprey (Petromyzon planexi). — An adult seen 

 swimming in the Derwent at Forge Valley on May 14th, 1915, 

 was captured and is now in the Scarborough Museum. This 

 species seems to make its way up the higher reaches of the 

 Derwent annually during the months of April and May. On 

 June 19th, 1915, an Ammocete, or larva of this species came, 

 in a much bruised and battered condition, but still alive, 

 through a water tap in Scarborough, having, no doubt, origin- 

 ally come from the Derwent at Ayton, whence a portion of 

 the local water supply is derived. 



River Lamprey (Petromyzon fluviatilis) . — This species 

 commonly ascends Scalby Beck in numbers from the sea, but 

 I had never seen it in the Derwent until, on October 22nd, 

 1915, while engaged in emptying an artificial pond used for 

 rearing young trout, I found in the pond a specimen of this 

 species. It had, no doubt, passed in with the water supply 

 from the Derwent in Forge Valley and was unable to make its 

 way out again. 



The Scarborough district is not famous for the ' Specrmen ' 

 fish caught in its streams, and those mentioned hereafter, are 

 doubtless not very exceptional for many districts, but they 

 are of considerably greater development than the average 

 specimen caught in our part of the county. 



Roach (Leuciscus rutilus).- — One weighing 2lbs., 40Z., was 

 taken by Mr. D. Davy in the Derwent at Yedingham Bridge.* 



* A Roach of 2lbs. or over is a notable fish anywhere. — R. F. 



ror7Feb. 1. 



