CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 329 



of Tynemoutli ; the Fox Shark, presented by Mr. J. Woodger; 

 and that rare species the Deal-fish, the Spinous Shark, and the 

 Greenland Shark, acquired by purchase, with a few others more 

 or less rare. 



In the following Catalogue the arrangement adopted by Dr. 

 Giinther in the British Museum Catalogue of Fishes, and in his 

 more popular work, The Study of Fishes, is, for the most part, 

 followed, commencing with the Teleostei, or Bony -fishes. 



The Bony-fishes are arranged in six orders, all of which have 

 representatives among our local fishes. 



The first order, Acanthopteryqii, or Spiny-rayed Fishes, is 

 represented by about fifty species, distributed into sixteen or 

 more families, which include many fishes that are merely strag- 

 glers to this coast, and occur so seldom as to be noted only for 

 their rarity and beauty ; and others which, from their frequent 

 occurrence, are better known, and when occurring in any 

 abundance are of considerable commercial importance; but, with 

 only few exceptions, the members of this division play a more 

 important part in the Fish-fauna of more southern latitudes than 

 with us, and none of them visit this coast in sufficient numbers 

 and regularity to induce fishermen to devote themselves to their 

 special capture. Even the Common Mackerel, which sometimes 

 occurs in large shoals off this coast, is not expected with the 

 same periodic regularity or fished for with the same avidity as 

 in the Channel. The rarest stragglers of this large group that 

 have visited these shores are the Bass, the Bed Mullet, the 

 Gilthead, the Maigre, the Tunny, the Sword-fish, the Opah, 

 the Black-fish, the Dory, Banks' Oar-fish, and the Deal-fish, 

 with a few others. The permanent residents are one or two of 

 the Sea-Breams, the "Weevers, the Gobies, Lumpsuckers, Fishing- 

 frog and Blennies, and the Sticklebacks ; interesting fishes, but 

 not sought after for food. 



The second order, Piiaryxgognatm, that is Acanthopterygian 

 fishes, with the lower pharyngeal bones united, is represented 

 in our sea by one family only, the Labridoe, or Wrasses — for the 

 most part gaudy-coloured fishes living in warmer seas; but three 

 or four species occur occasionally, but not in great abundance, 



