Fishes. 3001 



209) ; but, with all due deference to his skill and philosophy in the 

 culinary art, those who tasted of it, as prepared according to his re- 

 ceipt, were, without exception, of opinion that it was very indifferent 

 eating ; and that, although at no time good, it is, nevertheless, least 

 displeasing when it is merely subjected to the simple operation of 

 the frying-pan. 



In the course of last year, and during the season of summer, a fine 

 specimen of the short sunfish (Orthayoriscm Mola), and another of 

 the fishing frog {Lophius piscatorius), were brought ashore by the 

 fishermen of Pennan. The former measured four feet two inches in 

 length, and had the caudal fin much more deeply scalloped than it 

 appears in the cut given of this fish by Yarrell. The latter seemed 

 more compressed horizontally than one would be likely to imagine 

 from looking at the first figure which appears of the fishing frog, in 

 that gentleman's valuable history of ' British Fishes.' 



In the division Radiata, I shall at present only take notice of a 

 most lovely specimen of the Goniaster equestris, or knotty cushion 

 star, which was drawn from deep water off Troup Head, in the month 

 of June, last year. " This cushion star," says Mr. E. Forbes, " is one 

 of the rarest and most beautiful of our native starfishes." (' British 

 Starfishes,' p. 126). I learn, however, that it is by no means very un- 

 frequent on this particular line of coast.* The example to which I 

 am alluding, answers so minutely to the very accurate description 

 given of this species by the gentleman just now named, that I shall 

 only observe that the colour of the upper surface was, when the spe- 

 cimen was fresh, a fine rich cream-yellow, intermingled with the 

 faintest tint of pink ; the under surface was a little more pale ; and 

 the base of every mammiform tubercular spine was surrounded by a 

 ring or circle of bright but delicate pink. Perhaps, also, the angles, 

 or corners, are rather more obtuse than those which are shown in the 

 cut given by Mr. Forbes of this species. 



As regards the Crustacea, I have, in all probability, obtained only 

 three specimens, which are worthy of being named. The first is the 

 Lithodes Maia, or northern stone crab, which, as I am informed, is 

 now and then met with upon our coast. " This remarkable species," 

 observes Bell, " must be considered as one of the rarer of our British 

 Crustacea." He describes the colour as yellowish red, the spines 

 darker, the under surface paler. The colour of the specimen in my 

 possession, when it newly came out of the water, was a burnished 



* I have myself, during- the course of the present summer, obtained four speci- 

 mens of it. 



IX. E 



