Miscellaneous. 445 



the exact identity of the shark was not ascertained, but it was 

 described as the blue shark, though possibly it may have been the 

 Greenland shark, of which specimens are sometimes got on this 

 coast. 



The parasite was in fine condition and the only one procured. 

 It measured 54 millim. in length and 21 millim. across the ventral 

 surface. 



Sehastes norvegicus. By J. Dtjncak Matthews, F.R.S.E. 



Partly from the interest attaching to a somewhat uncommon fish, 

 but more particularly in order to describe some variations from pre- 

 viously recorded examples, I wish to record here the capture of some 

 specimens of Sehastes norvegicus. Three specimens which I examined 

 (out of a total take of six) were caught in February of this year 

 and forwarded to me at the Fishery Board for Scotland by Mr. 

 Murray, Fishery Ofiicer, Stonehaven, One of the specimens 

 measured 378 millim. in length, 115 millim. in depth at back of 

 operculum, and weighed 2 lbs. \\ oz. ; a second was 350 millim. 

 long, and weighed 1 lb. 10 oz. ; the third was only 220 millim. in 

 length. They were all of a bright crimson-red colour. The largest 

 of the six taken (and which was not sent to the Laboratory) measured 

 458 millim. long. The three specimens above recorded make six 

 specimens received by the Fishery Board within the last four years 

 ■ — all from the east coast of Scotland. 



Mr. Murray's account of the locality where these six fish were 

 caught is interesting, as confirming the statement of Couch, Day, 

 &c., that they frequent deep water. He says that they were 

 caught 16 miles off Stonehaven, where the general depth is 30 

 fathoms with gravel bottom. There are, however, oft' that coast 

 numerous deep pits or holes, said to be from 60 to 100 fathoms in 

 depth. The Sehastes were all caught with herring-bait on part of 

 a small line, which had been hanging across one of these pits — said 

 to be 70 fathoms deep. Eels were caught on the rocky bottom on 

 each side of the pit, and these Sehastes were caught on the line sus- 

 pended across. 



The following note of the fin-rays, as found on these three speci- 

 mens, and other three also examined by me, shows a rather striking- 

 variation from the record by Yarrell, Couch, Giinther, and Day. 

 These authorities all give 15 spines in the dorsal fin, and 7 to 9 

 soft rays in the anal fin, while in the six examples examined by me 

 only one (figured as a Serranus in the Annual Eeport for 1883) has 

 15 dorsal spines, the others having only 12. Five of the six have 

 only 6 soft anal rays, including a last ray which, springing 

 close to the penultimate, looks somewhat like part of it. The 

 variation from Giinther's and Day's record of the number of ver- 

 tebrae, in one examined in this respect, is also worthy of note. 



Each had seven branch iostegal rays, and in other respects these 

 specimens were identical with those previously recorded. 



