president's address. 179 



added a charm, by giving us momentary picturesque peeps at 

 the coast as we crossed Camboise Bay, passed Newbiggin, and 

 reached the gleaming sands of Druridge Bay. After that, bril- 

 liant sunshine and a perfectly smooth sea, was the order of the 

 day. 



By various routes the party had assembled at Blyth Quay, 

 were welcomed cheerily by Mr. John Dent and conducted on 

 board his steamer, the "Livingstone," generously placed by him 

 at the service of the Club. His experience and knowledge, as 

 also those of Mr. Storey, the Fisheries' Inspector, were ungrudg- 

 ingly placed, throughout the day, at the command of the whole 

 party, who freely and thankfully availed themselves of this 

 second act of generosity. We had hoped to have made this a 

 dredging expedition, but were obliged to be content with a trawl. 

 The beam was let down five times, but got fouled the last time. 

 The four successful trawls yielded us examples of the Angler or 

 Devil-fish, Lophius piscatorius ; Plaice, Platessa platessa; Dab, 

 Platessa limanda ; Sole, Solea solea ; Turbot, Rhombus maxi- 

 mus ; Skate, Raia Batis ; Gurnard, Trigla gurnardus ; Had- 

 dock, Gadus ceglejinus; Whiting, Merlangus merlangiis ; a small 

 Cuttle-fish, Loligo media ; a large pink Medusa and many Crabs, 

 but nothing exceptional. Both external and internal parasites 

 were obtained from the fishes, and bottled in considerable num- 

 bers. Samples of the bottom were got, in five-fathom water, in 

 the south part of Druridge Bay, off Cresswell, and in rather less 

 depth, in the north part of the same bay, near Coquet Island. 

 These have not yet been carefully examined. The brilliance 

 and play of colours, and the peculiar metallic lustre, especially 

 on Gurnet and Haddock, when newly caught, were a revelation 

 to more than one. Line-fishing afforded much amusement, and 

 was very successful. One Gurnet, caught by a spoon-bait, had 

 two small Plaice alive in its mouth when hauled on deck. The 

 stomachs of a few fish of each kind were examined. Some were 

 found empty, others made it manifest that each kind has its 

 special and favourite food. Thus the Plaice feed on Psammodus 

 almost entirely ; Dabs on Swimming Crabs, small Cuttle-fish, 

 and some small Shell-fish, but not on Psammodus ; Sole on 



