TAKEN OFF THE COAST OF NORTHUMBERLAND. 305 
edly referring to the specimen seen by Mr. Stanton. It is as 
follows :—“ To be seen at Moses Hopper’s, Flesh Market, a most 
curious fish, taken at Newbiggen by the Sea, 10 ft. long, 1 ft. bread, 
2 in. thick, and is thought to be the greatest curiosity that was 
ever seen in the kingdom before.” 
This fish was sketched by our celebrated townsman Thomas 
Bewick, but unfortunately the sketch has been mislaid. 
We have lately been favoured with a letter from Mr. George 
Tate, of Alnwick, respecting a fish of this genus, from which we 
make the following extract :—“ A fish was exhibited in January 
or February of the year 1845, similar in its general form to that 
a drawing of which you showed me when I was last in New- 
castle. One of the Preventive Service men observed this fish lying 
in a shallow pool in the sands, about a mile south of Alnmouth, 
where it had been left by the receding tide. Its great length 
and unusual appearance at once raised the man’s curiosity and 
excited his fears. On approaching it the creature bent itself 
round so as to appear like the rim of a coach-wheel, and the man 
supposing it was about to dart upon him, drew his sword and 
struck it on the head. The fish struggled much, but the man 
striking it repeatedly, at length succeeded in cutting off its head. 
“ This fish was 16 ft. long, 11 in. deep, and about 6 in. thick 
at the thickest part, from which it very gradually diminished 
both in thickness and depth. The eye was large, measuring 
about din. in circumference. The teeth very small and very 
acute. The skin was smooth, and no pustulations or hard points 
were observed, neither were any transverse streaks noticed ; but 
there were a few longitudinal ridges or corrugations about half 
an inch apart along the sides. The colour was a silvery gray, 
and the skin was covered by minute silvery-looking scales or 
particles, which were in such great quantity, that in the course 
of the struggles the creature made after being struck, the spot 
where it was found was covered over with them. There were no 
pectoral or ventral or anal or caudal fins, neither was any crest 
observed. These however may have been broken off, as the head 
was much injured by the blows which it had received. One fin, of 
a rich dark crimson colour, extended uninterruptedly from the 
VOL. I. 88 
