BABE FISHES SOLD FOB FOOD IN E. LONDON. 379 



80) states that it was sold in Whitechapel under the name of 

 " Spitalfields Weaver." A police regulation at Boulogne, and 

 elsewhere, commands that the dangerous poison spines be 

 removed before the fish is brought to market. This is not done 

 here. The eye of this beautiful fish is not often described ; it 

 is of a fine and lustrous crimson colour. 



Piper (Trigla lyra). — Winter, but not common. The Eed 

 Gurnard (T. cuculus) and the Grey (T. gurnardus) are sold in 

 great quantities. 



Bergylt (Sebastes norvegicus). — This interesting northern 

 species is often on sale in winter. 



Beryx (Beryx decadactylus).— Winter, occasionally in large 

 numbers, but I cannot learn the exact sources. Specimens of 

 these brilliant fishes are now exhibited in most museums, often 

 under the name Beryx splendens. I use the former name, 

 for the first one I bought in London agreed exactly with the 

 description and figure in Fries, Ekstrom, and Sundevall's work 

 on Scandinavian Fishes. Here Prof. Smitt (i. 68) suggests that 

 the two species are identical. There is a good figure of this 

 non-British fish in Gunther's accessible ' Study of Fishes,' 

 p. 422. The colour is a peculiar transparent or translucent 

 vermilion, most difficult to reproduce, although Mr. Gear has 

 been very successful by the use of coloured wax. 



The Beryx is strictly a deep-sea fish, living below the hundred 

 fathoms line, and is stated to be absent from British waters, 

 although the fishermen say that it is extraordinarily abundant 

 in the Bockall Depression. This fish occurs in many parts of 

 the world where the sea has a sufficient depth. 



Braize (Pagrus vulgaris). — Another brilliantly coloured fish 

 that occurs in December, March, and April. It is a southern 

 fish, possibly from the Bay of Biscay. 



Sea-Bream (Pagellus centrodontus) . — I include this because it 

 is the most popular fish in Wentworth Street. The name is 

 " Bullseye," and the Bergylt, Beryx, and Braize, all red species 

 with large eyes (the last has normal eyes), appear to be sold as 

 Sea-Bream. 



Scad (Caranx trachurus). — Summer, but only in small 

 numbers. 



Wolf Fish (Anarrhichas lupus). — Largely sold in East 



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