MISCELLANEA. ■ 22H 



Note on the capture of a very large Tunny in the Salmon Nets, 

 off Frenchman's Bay, near the mouth of, the Tyne in August, 

 1885. — On Monday, August 24t]i, tlie Salmon fishermen in the 

 employ of Mr. "W. Clift, of South Shields, while prosecuting 

 their usual occupation enclosed a very large fish in their Salmon 

 nets, off Frenchman's Bay, between the mouth of the Tyne and 

 Marsden Bay. I am told that not being able to kill the fish or 

 lift it on board their boat, they sent ashore for a gun and fired 

 two or three charges of shot into its head and body, and after 

 killing it in this way they towed it in the nets to the Tyne, 

 where it was landed, and afterwards taken in a cart to Mr. Cliffs 

 shop, where it was exhibited for a week. I have not had an 

 opportunity of obtaining a full report fi^om the fishermen them- 

 selves, but it had certainly been shot at close quarters, for some 

 of the pellets are still visible buried under the skin, and others 

 were seen in the bones of the head. 



I went to Shields to see this fish on the Thursday, and took 

 the following measurements: — Extreme length, nine feet; girth, 

 about five feet six inches. Front dorsal, about ten inches high 

 in fi'ont, and gradually lessening in height to one inch and a half, 

 and armed with about fourteen strong spines, the whole folding 

 into a groove along the top of the back. The second falcate 

 dorsal fin, very hard and stiff, about sixteen inches in length. 

 Pectorals, about sixteen inches; five inches wide at base, stiff 

 and hard, and could be folded close to the side. Lobes of tail, 

 seventeen inches each ; the distance between distal extremities, 

 twenty-eight inches. Ventral fins, about ten inches; the falcate 

 anal, eleven inches. Eye, two inches and a quarter by one inch 

 and three-quarters, of in-egular and peculiar shape, and about 

 twelve inches fi'om snout. Mouth not large, with mandibles 

 projecting upwards and rather, beyond the snout. Teeth rather 

 small and regular in size, not prominent, and curved inwards 

 No laniary teeth. Scales large above the pectorals and along 

 the back, but smaller on the sides and belly, and not visible 

 when the fish is fresh, being covered with skin. Opercular 

 plates large and wrinkled longitudinally. When quite fresh 

 the upper parts were of a dark bluish-grey colour, afterwards 



