A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



at night on 9 July 1891 ; depth 28 fathoms, 

 bottom sand. Only thirteen were adult males. 



43. John Dory. Zeus faber, Linn. 

 Common. Fine specimens are taken by 



the trawlers, and small ones by the shrimpers 

 in summer, 



44. Boar-fish. Capros aper, Linn. 



In summer time is often very abundant on 

 the trawling grounds. It seems to have been 

 rare or at least less common before the year 

 1840, when it was noted by Mr. Gatcombe 

 in the Zoologist that the Plymouth trawlers 

 were throwing overboard hundreds of them. 

 It is probable that they were known to the 

 fishermen before but not to naturalists. 



45. Mackerel. Scomber scombrus, Linn. 

 There is a large fishery for mackerel off 



Plymouth, both in summer and winter. The 

 Cornish boats fish there in the latter season 

 until the middle of January. After the spawn- 

 ing season, from about the end of June to the 

 end of September, mackerel are taken on 

 hooks by whiffing, and at this season they 

 approach the shore and enter Plymouth Sound, 

 At this time they are often taken in seines. 



46. Spanish Mackerel. Scomber colias, Gmel. 

 Occurs in small numbers. The Spanish 



mackerel in America is a different species, 

 namely Cybium maculatum. 



47. Tunny. Thunnus thynnuSy Linn. 



A specimen 9 feet long was taken near 

 Plymouth in 1873, another 8 ft. 9 in. long 

 at Dawlishin 1868 (Day). A specimen 3 feet 

 long was brought to the JPlymouth Laboratory 

 in September 1894. It was a female with 

 the ovaries small and immature. There were 

 a large number of Trematodes on the gills, and 

 specimens of Brachilla thynni behind the pec- 

 toral fins. 



48. Germon or Long-finned Tunny. Thunnus 



germo, LacdpMe. 

 A few specimens recorded. In August, 

 1 865, one 24 inches long was killed a little way 

 up the river Exe. 



49. Bonito. Thunnus pelamys, Linn. 



A tropical oceanic species of which speci- 

 mens have wandered to the coast of Devon. 

 In September 1876 one 20\ inches long was 

 taken in a trammel in the Cattewater at 

 Plymouth, and a few larger specimens have . 

 been taken there (Day). 



50. Pelamid. Pelamys sarda, Bloch. 

 Probably occurs occasionally, as it has been 



taken on the south coast. 



was a 



51. Plain Bonito. Juxis rochet, 'Risso. 

 Occurs occasionally. A specimen was 



obtained at the Plymouth Laboratory in 

 August 1894, having been taken with mack- 

 erel in a seine at Mount Batten. It 

 female 16 inches in length. 



52. Scabbard-fish. Lepidopus caudatus,'E\iphr. 

 The first recorded British specimen was 



captured at Dawlish in 1787 ; another 5 J 

 feet long was taken at Salcombe (Day), 



53. Silvery Hair-tail. Trichiurus lepturus, 



Linn. 



Occasional specimens recorded ; one 2 ft. 

 8 in. long in January 1876, in the Hamoaze. 



54. Sword-fish. Xiphias gladius, hinn. 



A specimen over 7 feet long was taken in 

 1863 in pilchard drift-nets off Plymouth 

 (Day). 



55. Ray's Bream. Brama rati, Bl. Schn. 



A deep-water form thrown on shore or 

 found in shallow water after storms. Has 

 been recorded from Devonshire by Montagu. 



56. Opah or King-fish. Lampris luna, Gmel. 

 An occasional straggler from deep water. 



One 4 ft. 5 in, long and weighing 140 lb, 

 recorded as taken at Brixham in 1772. 



57. Scad or Horse-Mackerel. Caranx tra- 



churus, Linn. 

 Common, taken in mackerel nets. 



58. Pilot-fish. Naucrates ductor, Linn, 

 Was recorded from Dartmouth harbour in 



1 8 18, Many have accompanied ships into 

 the Cattewater, Plymouth (Day). 



59. Blackfish. Centrolophus pompilus, Linn. 

 A specimen taken in June 1877 in a 



seine at Babbicombe. Is observed to accom- 

 pany sharks. 



60. Greater Weever. Trachinus draco, Linn, 

 Common on sandy ground, but the writer 



has not seen it in such numbers at Plymouth 

 as in the produce of the trawl at Lowestoft, 



61. Lesser Weever, Viper Weever. Trach- 



inus vipera, Cuv. and Val. 

 Common in shrimp trawls. The weevers 

 bury themselves vertically in the sand and 

 erect the spinous dorsal fin when alarmed. It 

 is however the spine at the top of the oper- 

 culum which is poisonous, and the writer 

 knows from experience that the pain caused 

 by a prick from this spine is very intense for 

 a few minutes, extending up the arm to the 



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