304 ACCOUNT OF A RIBBON FISH 
roundish spots, and has a few obscure streaks obliquely placed 
below the lateral line. 
On the whole, then, we are inclined to believe the Cornish spe- 
cimen distinct from the G. Banksii, though, from the evident 
want of knowledge of the draftsman, much reliance cannot be 
placed on his details. 
Notwithstanding the rarity of the genus Gymnetrus, there is 
every reason to believe that specimens of it have been taken from 
time to time off the north-eastern coast of England. It appears 
by the ‘Annual Register, that a fish was captured off Whitby, 
January 22, 1759, closely related to, if not identical with, our 
species. The account, which may be interesting, we here re- 
produce. It is by Lionel Charlton, author of a ‘History of 
Whitby’ :-— 
“Yesterday (Jan. 22) a very extraordinary fish was brought 
here by our fishermen, which broke into three pieces as they were 
hauling it into the coble. It was 11 ft. 4 in. long, exclusive of the 
tail, had a head like a turbot or brat, was about a foot broad near 
its head, but not above 4 or 5 in. near the tail, and not anywhere 
more than 3in. thick. The thickest part was its belly, and it 
gradually diminished away towards the back, which was sharp, 
and had all along it one continued fin from the head to the tail. 
It was covered with an infinite number of white scales, which 
stuck to and dyed every thing that it touched ; and might be 
said in some sort to resemble the quicksilvered back of a look- 
ing-glass. It appeared, when laid on the sand, like a long oak 
plank, and was such a fish as nobody here ever saw before, which 
caused a vast concourse of people round it the whole day.” 
The breaking of the fish was owing to its great delicacy of 
structure, and probably its little capacity for lateral motion. It 
was necessary to take great care in removing the Cullercoats fish 
for fear of fracture from the same causes. 
We are informed by Mr. Stanton, of Newcastle, that upwards 
of fifty years ago a silvery fish, resembling in its general charac- 
ters the subject of this paper, was exhibited here, and we have 
been favoured by Mr. Robert Bewick with a copy of a hand-bill 
relating to a fish shown in this town March 27, 1794, undoubt- 
