NOTES AND QUERIES. 273 



fish, 4£ in. An equally remarkable Herring (Clupea harengus) was sent 

 me on Feb. 28th. It was 2 in. deep up to the dorsal and anal fins, but was 

 nearly normal in shape, and then singularly shortened behind. Length, 

 6f in. ; it should, if perfect for its size, have been 10 in. long. I had a 

 Codling sent me on Jan. 20th, in which the mouth was strangely placed under 

 the head, the snout protruding considerably, the lower lip being singularly 

 like that of a Shark. The tongue formed a kind of ball or stopper which 

 effectually closed the mouth when necessary. Length, 13£ in. On Jan. 

 16th I met with a Lemon Sole (Solea lascaris), which was brought to the 

 fish-wharf. I saw a Brill (Rhombus lavis), on March 2nd, which was pure 

 white on the upper surface, with the exception of the extreme margin of 

 the fins ; the latter half of the tail was coloured, as was a small ring 

 encircling each eye normally. I was shown a large Turbot (R. maximus), 

 on May 29th, which was also white all over the upper surface, save here 

 and there a small spot of grey. Both fish, as in all cases of albino Turbots, 

 were minus the spiuy processes which dot the back or upper surface. A 

 small example of the Greenland Bullhead (Coitus scorpius var. grcenlandicus) 

 reached me on April 29th. On May 21st a local shrimper brought me a fish 

 which was quite new to him. It measured 4 in. in length. On comparing it 

 with Day's plate, I found it to be an example of Blennius gattorugine. It was 

 not at all highly coloured, as depicted by Couch, but was of a dull tawny or 

 yellow-brown, the edges of the fins being of a ruddy hue. Day speaks of 

 it being subject to variation according to locality, and no doubt on our 

 sandy coast such a stray fish would assume more sober tints than in its 

 native rocky habitat. Mr. T. Southwell, to whom I sent it for confirmation 

 of my finding, noticed it was not so deep as in Day's figure, and the " slight 

 notch " mentioned between the spinous and soft portions of the dorsal fins 

 did not seem to him to exist in my specimen. This is the first record of 

 B. gattorugine occurring in East Anglian waters. The specimen has been 

 spirited, and will be presented to Yarmouth Museum at the Old Tolhouse 

 Hall. — A. Patterson (Great Yarmouth). 



[The Gattorugine, known to fishermen of the West of England by the 

 homely appellation of Tompot (Couch), has been recorded from the north- 

 east coast. " Included in Sir Cuthbert Sharp's List of Hartlepool Fishes," 

 cf. R. Howse, ' Cat. Fishes of the Rivers and Coast of Northumberland and 

 Durham,' p. 25. It is reported as lying concealed in pools among long 

 seaweeds, where it is probably often overlooked. — Ed.] 



AVICULTURAL NOTES. 



Aviculture and its Scientific Status. — Although for many years the 

 increase in the number of zoological gardens has shown that scientists have 

 desired to become familiar with the living representatives of their cabinet 



Zool. Mh ser. vol. III., June, 1899. T 



