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Icthyological Notes. By George Bolam, F.Z.S., Berwick. 



Fox Shark or Thresher (Alopias vulpes.) 

 At the Berwick Meeting of the Club, oa 13th October 1897, I 

 had the pleasure of laying upon the table a photograph of this rare 

 fish, taken at the instigation of Mr Bishop, from a fine adult specimen, 

 which was caught off the Greens Harbour, Berwick, on the 30th 

 September in that year. It was a male, and after having been exhibited 

 for two or three days in the premises of Mr. Cowe, fishmonger, High 

 Street, it was sent 'on tour' through the Border district, where its 

 unusual appearance attracted considerable attention. Finally it was 

 sold in Carlisle. For the following careful measurements we are 

 indebted to Mr. Bishop. 



Extreme length 11 feet 7 inches, of which the tail measured rather 

 more than one-half, viz. : — 6 feet 1 inch, leaving only 5 feet 

 6 inches as the length of the body. 

 Point of snout to anterior margin of eye, 4^ inches. 

 Curved anterior margin of dorsal fin, 11| inches, 

 do. do. pectoral fin, 21 inches. 



do. do. pelvic fin, 9 inches, 



Claspers 11 inches in length ; breadth of tail from tip of lower lobe 

 to dorsal margin, 15 inches ; breadth of tail, behind lower lobe, 

 10 inches ; girth immediately in front of tail, 17 inches. 

 Dorsal fin from base to middle line of inferior surface, 19^ inches ; 



from tip to base, in a straight line, 10 inches. 

 From snout to anterior margin of dorsal fin, 30^ inches. 

 On the median-dorsal line, \Z\ inches from the tip of the snout, there 



was a small circular aperture, emitting some oil. 

 In colour the fish was dullish leaden blue above, soiled white beneath, 

 spotted and blotched, with greyish white at the junction of the colours. 

 The skin is hard and rough to the touch, but presenting a short velvety 

 appearance to the eye. 



The fish was captured through having become entangled in one of the 

 illicit hang-nets set for salmon, near the harbour. 



This is the second time the Thresher has been taken in Berwick Bay, 

 Dr. Johnston having recorded the capture of one on 26th July 1846, an 

 exquisite drawing of which is still in the possession of his daughter, Mrs 

 Barwell-Carter at the Anchorage. Elsewhere the fish has occurred two or 



