THE FISHES OF GBFAT YABMOUTH. 545 



Cottus gobio. Miller's Thumb. C— In the rivers and broads. 

 Gurney records a Water Rail picked up on the Yare, and a Dab- 

 chick on the Wensum, both being choked in attempting to swallow 

 fish of this species. 



C. scorpius. Father-lasher. C. — One of our most abundant 

 species in the warmer months. The shrimpers net thousands. 

 They are voracious feeders, and are often found simply stuffed 

 with Shrimps. When held in the hand they distend their gills, 

 producing a curiously faint humming sound ; hence the local 

 urchins term them "hummers." Large ones occasionally take a 

 bait. Local, "Hummer," "Hard-head," " Sea-bullhead." 



(?) f C. scorpius var. grosnlandicus. Greenland Bullhead. R. R. 

 — [Mr. Southwell considers this to be a variety of C. scorpius. As 

 its colours are so distinctive, and there is to my mind a marked 

 difference in the shape of the head, I am inclined to accept it as 

 a true species. I have obtained several, one of which, in spirits, 

 is preserved in Norwich Museum. A five-inch specimen in 

 Shrimp-net, March 7th, 1895 ; another, 5j in., Dec. 19th of 

 same year. My first record, April 24th, 1890.] 



*C. bubalis. Bubalis. A. — Although said to be not uncom- 

 monly met with in the Wash, it is the veriest straggler here. 

 First specimen met with April 7th, 1891, in a Shrimp-net. Now 

 in Norwich Museum. A second, Aug. 17th, 1895 ; a 4j-in. speci- 

 men taken in a draw-net. 



Trigla cuculus. Red Gurnard. F. — Immature specimens 

 are not infrequently taken in Shrimp-nets. In the adult state it 

 is far less common than T. gurnardus. 



(?) T. poeciloptera. Little Gurnard. R. — [Recent authorities 

 discard this as a true species ; Couch does not. Dr. Lowe 

 (Trans. Norf. and Nor. Nat. Soc. vol. iv. p. 21) gives it a place 

 in his list as follows: — " On May 15th, 1873, while trawling in 

 the Lynn roads with Mr. Ewles, I obtained a single specimen of 

 this rare species ; length, yf in." &c. In the summer of 1890 I 

 met with several fish answering Couch's description of the sup- 

 posed species, and forwarded them to Dr. Gunther, who pro- 

 nounced them as the immature of T. cuculus ; and that T. 

 poeciloptera was no true species.] 



T. hirundo. Tubfish. R. R. — A much more suitable name 

 is Sapphirine Gurnard, by which some writers distinguish the 



