SOME FISH-NOTES FROM GREAT YARMOUTH. 17 



(see illustration). The photograph unfortunately does not show 

 the defaulting leg in its proper proportions. What use the Crab 

 made of its freakish member could only have been known to its 

 possessor, and the secret has been lost in the boiling. 



In September somewhat unusual numbers of the Common 

 Prawn {Palcetnon serratus), many of goodly size, were taken by 

 the shrimpers and met with a ready sale. One shrimper assured 

 me he had taken as many as thirty on a tide. 



Mr. F. C. Cook, of Lowestoft, sent for my inspection late in 

 December (1912) an example of Dromia vulgaris taken off the 

 'Galloper' light- vessel {vide 'The Zoologist,' 1913, p. 38). I 

 have never met with it at Yarmouth. Mr. Cook also kindly sent 

 me a few notes referring to a trip made by him in a Lowestoft 

 smack to the Smith's Knowl (about twenty-five miles out from the 

 north-east corner of Norfolk) in the second week in September. 

 The first two or three days were more or less blanks, as far as 

 his experiences went ! " Scarcely a haul was made but what 

 two or three examples of the Angler-fish (Lophius piscatorius) 

 were met with ; those examined contained great quantities of sand. 

 A large Cod was taken on the 11th, the eyes of which were 

 sunken and colourless ; and it was in a very emaciated condition. 

 A malformed Cod was caught on the 12th, and also a bull-head 

 variety of the Whiting ; a second malformed Whiting being met 

 with the day after. While trawling on the rough or ' Eoss- 

 bottomed ' ground (where Sabellce and shells, &c, abounded) in 

 the vicinity of the Smith's Knowl Light, a great variety of Crabs 

 was taken, among the more interesting of them were the Eoss 

 Crab {Zantho rivulosa), Porcelain Crab (Porcellana longicornis), 

 Marbled Swimming Crab (Portunus marmoreus), and several 

 Velvet Swimming Crabs {P. puber). The latter were very 

 ferocious and menacing, and caused fun by the way they elevated 

 and opened their pincer claws and ran at the skipper's dog, who, 

 knowing from experience the penalty he had beforetime paid by 

 playing with Swimming Crabs, wisely kept at a safe distance. 



"A fine Sturgeon, weighing 20 stone and realizing £11 10s., 

 was landed on Lowestoft fish-market on October 30th." 



Some interesting notes and statistics were given in the 

 'Eastern Daily Press ' of Dec. 6th, 1913, dealing with the little- 

 known industries off the North Norfolk coast, which include those 

 Zool. Ith ser. vol. XVIII., January, 1914. c 



