PISCES, 429 



named has but to refer to the index in the fourth volume of the 

 book, and he will there find out where to read of it. 



There is one difiiculty connected with the detailing of a list of 

 British fishes observed in Cornwall to which I must call attention. 

 Of course we score everything as of Cornwall which we actually 

 catch on the Cornish coast, and if a specimen occurs in Plymouth 

 harbour (as of the hippocampus) we may fairly claim it as 

 occurring in the Cornish seas , but we frequently obtain rare 

 specimens from the stomach of a cod (which fish some one has 

 wittily termed the " naturalists' purveyor,") or rare fish are taken 

 in the Bristol channel (surely a Cornish sea), off the Welsh 

 coast, or are landed by some captain of a ship who has procured 

 them on his voyage home (as for instance, " Remora " from the 

 Bay of Biscay), or they are taken by our driving boats many 

 leagues south and west of the Scilly islands. Are these speci- 

 mens Cornish fish ? They present themselves in our museums, 

 and on the whole I am inclined to give them rank as Cornish 

 fishes. We are, I think, entitled from our promontorial position 

 to regard as our own all fish which come within the sweep of our 

 fishermen, or of vessels landing them in fresh condition on our 

 shores. 



PERCII)^.—(Jb.^ Perch Kind). 



Perch. {Perca Fluviatilis). A freshwater fish ; not an aborigine 

 of Cornwall, but naturalised in many ponds. 



Basse. fLahrax LupusJ. Common in harbours, in sandy bays, 

 and on a lee shore in rough weather. Weighs on an aver- 

 age 8 lbs. 



Smooth Serranus. fSerranus CabrillaJ. Comber. West of the 

 Lizard it is known as the "Loe fish;" not uncommon; 

 usually dies with its mouth wide open. 



Dusky Serranus {Serranus gigas). Dusky perch. A mediter- 

 ranean fish of very rare occurrence. 



Stone Basse {Serranus Couchii). The term "stone basse" is 

 applied in Cornwall to at least three distinct fish. This fish 

 is not a basse at all, but a serranus. The only known speci- 

 men of it was observed by Mr. Couch, and it worthily bears 

 his name. It is also known as " Couch's Polyprion." 



Squirrel fish. (Sosmulon FormosumJ . Mr. Couch in his Fauna 

 says " It is a native of the West Indies. One specimen has 



