CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORT FOR N. DEVON. 103 
Coal-Tits, too, seemed far more plentiful than I have ever seen 
them at Barnstaple. 
FIsHEs. 
Barnstaple is not a good centre for an ichthyologist. It is too 
far from the coast. Hence I feel sure that a large number of 
interesting captures escape me, especially those that occur at 
Clovelly, for example, which is almost as secluded and inaccessible 
as Lundy Island. I have not been able to do any dredging for 
myself. 
On May 28rd, 1907, an Opah (Lampris luna) was discovered 
on the shore at Woolacombe Sands. Mr. R. Hadden, a visitor, 
noticed what he thought was a red flag standing in about a foot 
of water, but on approaching he saw that it was the dorsal fin of 
a dead or dying fish. He pulled it ashore, and it was taken to 
the railway station. On its way to the Royal Albert Memorial 
Museum at Exeter it was stopped at Barnstaple, where I saw it. 
Tts length was 3 ft. 2 in., and it was said to weigh 140 lb. The 
colour of the flesh was yellow, and it was badly rubbed on one 
side ; otherwise it still retained to a certain extent its glittering 
colours—red fins, round light spots, and sheens of purple and 
silver. Nothing was found in its stomach except a quantity of 
green slime. The last taken in Devon was, I think, in 1772, at 
Brixham ; it weighed 140 lb., and measured as much as 4 ft. 5 in. 
long. 
Numbers of Thickbacks (Solea variegata) in the Exeter market 
during May last year, taken on the south coast. 
The Clovelly Mackerel fishing last season was considered 
worse than in the previous year. Their Herring season was 
very poor, as it was at all the fishing ports—Combemartin, Lyn- 
mouth, and Ilfracombe. This makes the third season in which 
the famous ‘‘ Clovelly Herrings”’ have fallen off. A slight im- 
provement, not maintained, set in during the early part of 
November, the boats averaging one hundred and twenty each, 
while one man secured a ‘“‘mease”’ (six hundred and twelve). 
The fish taken were of very good quality. 
The River Taw Salmon fishing was a very distinct improve- 
ment. About the beginning of last September some very fine 
catches of coarse fish—Bass, Mullet, and Flounders—were taken 
in the Taw. About this time there were shoals of small Grey 
