Fishes. 1401 



Dusky Serranus, Serranus gigas. The late Mr. E. Chirgwin in- 

 formed me that two specimens have been caught in Mount's Bay. 



Couch's Polyprion, Polyprion cernum. This is always called by 

 the Cornish fishermen, either the Stone Bass or Wreck Fish. This 

 can hardly be called a common fish, though it is by no means rare ; 

 for several years not a single specimen can be seen, and in one win- 

 ter they may become abundant. Their habits generally confine them 

 to deep water, far off the shores : the fishermen of Mount's Bay in- 

 form me, that they frequently see them W. and S.W. of the Scilly 

 Islands, about five or ten leagues from land, sporting about floating 

 pieces of wood, especially if covered with barnacles. If these floating 

 pieces of wreck are driven near the shore these fish follow them in 

 flocks, gamboling about from side to side, or leaping over them : it has 

 been supposed that they follow the floating wood to prey on the small 

 fish that take shelter beneath. That they devour such creatures, 

 there can be no doubt, but it can hardly be the case, that this is the 

 object of pursuit, since they are frequently so numerous, that such a 

 supply would be speedily exhausted : to all appearance it is mere 

 sport. They were common last winter in the sheet of water between 

 the Scilly Islands and the Land's End. They sometimes grow very 

 large, so much as twenty-eight pounds ; Cuvier, however, mentions a 

 hundred pounds as an occasional weight. 



Great Weever, Trachinus draco. This beautifully tinted fish re- 

 sides on our coasts throughout the year. In the summer it is caught 

 in the sandy bays where the pilchard fishing is carried on. From 

 the fishermen's account of it, it is rather an inactive species ; it bur- 

 rows in the sand, and is frequently caught with the tuck-nets of the 

 pilchard seine. Its colours when living are remarkably brilliant; 

 the stripes of yellow, brown, blue, &c. gently wave from the back in 

 an oblique direction backwards, and near the abdomen change to a 

 yellow and white ; the stripes being definite, give a remarkably bril- 

 liant appearance to the whole. But though so beautiful in colouring, 

 it is rather a dangerous fish to handle in a living state. On the gill- 

 cover, or each side of the head is a long sharp spine, pointing pos* 

 teriorly : this is the weapon both of offence and defence, with which 

 it unerringly strikes a blow. A puncture from these spines is a poison- 

 ous one, the pain is great and rapidly extends from the hand to the 

 shoulder, the injured part soon turns to a livid purple colour and 

 swells very much. A few months ago, I saw one which had just been 

 caught, and as it lay in the bottom of the boat, I frequently threw some 

 sea-water over it to keep it living, and then irritated it with a stick, 

 iv 5 K 



