Fishes. 3457 



boat, excited in my green experience no little fear, and I was more 

 than thankful to find my feet on terra firma once more. We dashed 

 on then in a direct line to " The Whale," a mob of people all moving 

 in the same direction. I cannot give the exact date of this event, 

 but according to my calculation it happened in the year 1778. The 

 monster lay along the edge of the water, just a little within high-water 

 mark. It seemed to me, as nearly as my idea of measure at that time 

 was formed, to be about 25 feet in length, and I suppose, at the thick- 

 est part (the head), might be about 8 to 10 feet high. I was amazed, as 

 you may easily suppose, at such an enormous bulk ; and disgusted and 

 amused at once with the clumsy and awkward proceedings of the fish- 

 ermen, who were cutting and hacking off the blubber with hatchets, 

 scythes and long knives, and from its slipperiness were tumbling head- 

 long on the carcass of the huge creature ; and certainly not less so at 

 the wonderful patience and composure with which the Dowager Lady 

 of Gordonston watched their proceedings from her carriage drawn up 

 on the lee-side of this stinking monster. It had come upon her join- 

 ture-land, and, determined to see it well cared for, she returned for 

 several days until the last particle was secured. 



"Having got to the end of my curiosity and of my c prog,' I thought 

 of home, but having no penny to pay my passage to Salter-hill, I found 

 myself under the necessity of using ' shanks-naigie' round the east 

 end of the Loch of Spynie, and by Oakenhead and Pitgaveny, which, 

 in those happy days, was no great affliction." 



I. — Fishes with a Bony Skeleton. 



Lesser Weever, Trachinus Vipera. " Stangster, Stang." Not un- 

 frequent. The fishermen and their families consider them poisonous, 

 and assert that " if they sting with the spike that is near the ear, the 

 wound will fester." In proof of their assertions, they are ready to 

 adduce instances of individuals who did not recover for many weeks. 

 It is needless to say here that there has been no poisonous matter 

 ever found about the spines of the weevers, and that all the reported 

 poisonings may be accounted for by mere mechanical injury on an 

 inflammatory habit, or by neglect of the wound upon even the more 

 healthy. 



Striped Red Mullet, Midlus surmuletus. Found at Gamrie (Zool. 

 3282), Rev. G. Harris. 



Red Gurnard, Trigla Cnculus. Occasionally met with in the Firth, 

 as at Lossiemouth, Mr. Martin, 



X. U 



