*73 



COUCH'S WHITING AT WHITBY: 



AN ADDITION TO THE YORKSHIRE FAUNA. 



THOS. STEPHENSOX. 



It gives me great pleasure to be able to make a communication 

 respecting what, I consider, is not only a great rarity but also an 

 addition to the Yorkshire Fauna, as I have never heard of one 

 instance of its being seen or procured on the North East Coast 

 previously, and no such record is to be found in Clarke and 

 Roebuck's Handbook of Yorkshire Vertebrata. 



Yesterday (Jan. 13th, 1896), Pounder Robinson, jun., brought 

 to me a small fish which he had found on the previous day (Sunday), 

 washed up on the sand ; on close comparison with the cut, and 

 description by Mr. Couch, contained in Yarrell, vol. 2, pp. 247-248, 

 I have no hesitation in pronouncing it to be a small specimen of 

 Couch's Whiting {Gadus poutassoii). It is about 6i inches long; 

 eyes large and slightly oval; the under jaw the longest; general 

 form of the body resembles that of the Whiting but more slender j 

 teeth similar to those of the Whiting ; on the roof of the mouth 

 a pair of prominent, sharp, incurved teeth ; the body ends arrow- 

 shaped at the caudal fin ; first and second dorsal fins are about the 

 same size and of triangular form ; third dorsal fin terminates near 

 the caudal fin ; the caudal fin (slightly damaged) appears similar to 

 but less than that of the Whiting ; two pectoral and two ventral fins, 

 the latter small and slender ; first anal fin long ; second anal fin 

 (damaged) appears to be little more than one-third the length of 

 first anal fin and terminates closer to the caudal fin than the third 

 dorsal fin does* Flesh rather soft. Colour of the fish approaching 

 that of the Sand Eel {Ammodytes lanceolatus), but less green. 



I have had the fish placed in spirit, it being too delicate for any 

 other method of preservation. 



^ * 



NOTE— MOSSES. 



A New Yorkshire Dicranum.— I have recently gathered in two heathy Fir 

 woods, near Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, Dicranum unditlaium Ehrh., the waved- 

 leaved fork -moss, a species for which there is no previous Yorkshire Station. On 

 submitting it to Mr. M. B. Slater for verification, he informs me that there are 

 only two British stations where it has been observed, firstly, on moorland near 

 Wool ford, Stout Valley, Warwickshire, gathered by Mr. Bagnall, May 30th, 1887. 

 and secondly, in Dupplin and Woodhead Woods, near Perth, by R. H. Meldrum, 

 1891. It appears to be abundant all over the European continent, and fairly 

 plentiful in North America. The plants were sterile and not in great quantity, 

 growing with D. spitriitm, Hy urn ScJtrtfcri, Polytruka, and other ericetal 

 plants. I am hoping to rind fruit during the summer, as it is usually found in tha 

 condition during July and August.— J. T. Marshall, Pharmaceutical Chemist, 

 Market Weighton. 



June 1896. 



