1714 Fishes. 



they are moving to the east or north-east, being taken on the western 

 side of the nets. The largest quantities pass up the northern 

 shores. They are held in no estimation as food, and sell at a very 

 low price. 



Allice Shad, A. communis. Damin-herring. Equally common 

 with the twaite shad, but approaches the shore earlier. 



Anchovy, Engraulis encrasicholus. Not at all uncommon towards 

 the latter part of summer and early in the autumn. Very large spe- 

 cimens are sometimes taken in the pilchard drift-nets. I have seen 

 one eight inches long, and many varying from five to seven and a half 

 inches. It approaches the shores somewhat earlier than the pilchard, 

 and continues in shallow water till October and November. Whether 

 they are sufficiently numerous to warrant the establishment of a 

 fishery remains to be discovered ; and the mesh of the drift-nets are 

 too large to determine the point. Some of the small " schulls " of 

 what the fishermen call sprats have proved to belong to the an- 

 chovy. They have been taken in March in Mevagissey Bay ; but 

 at present very little is known of their movements. 



R. Q. Couch. 



Penzance. 



The Sea Serpent. — On the 15th of May, 1833, a party, consisting of Captain Sulli- 

 van, Lieutenants Maclachlan and Malcolm of the Rifle Brigade, Lieutenant Lyster of 

 the Artillery, and Mr. Ince of the Ordnance, started from Halifax in a small yacht 

 for Mahone Bay, some forty miles to the westward on a fishing excursion. The 

 morning was cloudy, and the wind at S.S.E. and apparently rising ; by the time we 

 reached Chebucto head, as we had taken no pilot with us, we deliberated whether we 

 should proceed or put back, but after a consultation we determined on tie former, hav- 

 ing lots of ports on our lee. Previously to leaving town, an old man-of-war's-man we 

 had along with us busied himself in inquiries as to our right course : he was told to 

 take his departure from the Bull Rock off Pennant Point, and that a W.N. W. course 

 would bring us direct on Iron Bound Island at the entrance of Mahone or Mecklen- 

 burgh Bay ; he, however, unfortunately told us to steer W.S.W., nor corrected his er- 

 ror for five or six hours ; consequently we had gone a long distance off the coast. We 

 had run about half the distance, as we supposed, and were enjoying ourselves on deck 

 smoking our cigars, and getting our tackle ready for the approaching campaign against 

 the salmon, when we were surprised by the sight of an immense shoal of grampuses, 

 which appeared in an unusual state of excitement, and which, in their gambols ap- \ 

 proached so close to our little craft that some of the party amused themselves by firing 

 at them with rifles: at this time we were jogging on at about five miles an hour, and 

 must have been crossing Margaret's Bay: I merely conjecture where we were, as we 

 had not seen land since a short time after leaving Pennant Point. Our attention 



