sternoptychid^e. 51 



Zealand, and which he doubtfully separated from M. borealis. Dr. Giinther (An. 

 Nat. Hist. (4) xvii, p. 399) having examined a specimen pronounced it to be 

 Maurolicus amethystino-punctatus, Cocco, from the Mediterranean. Hutton, 1. c. 

 viii, p. 215, states that it is a Gonostoma. The figure gives the impression that 

 the fish is Maurolicus Pennantii. 



Names. — Pennant first termed this fish the Sheppy argentine, the latter 

 designation gave rise to great inconvenience due to its not being an " argentine." 

 Yarrell proposed the unobjectionable name of " Pearl sides." 



Habits. — Of these but little is known. During their breeding season, or from 

 January until May, they are thrown on our shores in varying numbers and in 

 proportion to the violence of the weather, and it is only in the examples obtained 

 by Higgins in Somersetshire that we possess a record of their capture so late in the 

 season as July. 



Means of capture. — Generally it is thrown on shore by the violence of the sea. 



Breeding. — As the ova, which are large, were ready for shedding in examples 

 captured in February and the milt was similarly forward, it appears that off 

 Scotland they must breed during the earlier portion of the year. 



Habitat. — Prom the coasts of Scandinavia, to the British Isles, shores of France 

 and through the Mediterranean : off Italy, Giglioli observes, it is rare, but 

 obtained at Niza, and Messina in July and September. 



Low states that his single example from the Orkneys was given him by 

 a boy, who found it at the edge of the water among the sea ware, since then 

 several specimens have been procured by Dr. Duguid and Mr. Heddle (W. Baikie, 

 Zool. 1853) : Mr. Peach recorded it from Wick : Edward remarked that it is 

 a regular winter visitant off the Banff coast, being never absent during January, 

 and from 1 to 3 inches in length : Mr. Sim has collected for me at Aberdeen 

 during the last two winters nearly two hundred examples, it being cast on the 

 beach in great abundance during the months of January, February and March : 

 four specimens up to nearly 2 inches in length were taken in April, 1833, from 

 the Firth of Forth (Claivke, 1. c.) : two or three specimens are in the Glasgow 

 Museum : Mr. Rudd first obtained this fish at Redcar in May, 1841 : in 1843 he 

 found thirteen specimens : in February, 1851, four : and in February and March, 

 1852, forty (Zool. 1852, p. 3504) : it has been taken off Devonshire as recorded 

 by Walcott (Yarrell) : Higgins obtained three specimens at Weston-super-Mare in 

 the month of July (Zool. 1861, p. 7317) : Pennant's specimen came from sea at 

 Downing, off Flintshire. 



Its capture in Ireland has been reported March 11th, 1847, at Killiney Bay, 

 near Dublin (Thompson, Ann. and Mag. 1847, p. 171). 



The example figured life-size was taken at Aberdeen by Mr. Sim. 



Note. — Paralepis. Dunn observes, "one of this genus was driven on shore alive by porpoises 

 at Polkerris, near Par, June 2nd, 1869. I pent it to Mr. Couch, who says it is the first known in 

 England. Its length was about 14 inches, depth lj inches. The sides of the fish were of an uniform 

 silvery colour. It was covered with scales, but so delicate that they came off on being 

 handled." 



4* 



