454 THE ZOOLOGIST 



rare in Mount's Bay. The only specimen seen by the writer was 

 dredged in twenty-five fathoms in Falmouth Bay in June, 1902. 

 The Butter-fish or Gunnel (Centronotus gunnellus, Bl. Schn.) is 

 often found between tide-marks on moist ground along the south 

 and west, but is very local on the north coast. It is occasionally 

 found in Crab-pots. A single example of the Bed Band-fish 

 (Cepola rabescens, L.) was recorded from Mevagissey by Dunn. 

 The Angler, Monk-fish, or Sea Devil (Lophius piscatorius, L.) is 

 common all round the coast, coming inshore in summer and 

 autumn, and often passing into the estuaries. Six years ago a 

 specimen measuring 2 ft. 9 in. came up the Fal above Malpas. 

 In 1905 a large Angler was caught in a trammel south of Mount's 

 Bay, with a Shag inside, and Dunn f. says this has occurred 

 several times within his personal knowledge. 



The Cod (Gadus morrhua, L.) is still common both on sandy 

 and on rocky ground all round the coast, but is not often taken 

 in really good condition for the table. The Haddock (G. cegle- 

 Jinus, L.) is perhaps the most uncertain of the Cornish food- 

 fishes in its appearance. For some years previous to 1870 it 

 was plentiful at Megavissey, but that year it left the coast 

 entirely (Matthias Dunn). In the early sixties the fishermen 

 from Falmouth and St. Mawes took it in considerable quantity, 

 and large catches were at least occasionally made further west. 

 From 1870 onwards only occasional specimens were caught, but 

 in 1886 over a hundred were taken near the Wolf Bock (Hicks). 

 From that time it remained very scarce till five or six years ago. 

 Lately trawlers have brought in up to four or five hundred occa- 

 sionally from the Silver Pits, two to four miles south of Mouse- 

 hole Island, and small catches of much larger fish have been 

 made in the vicinity of Wolf Bock. In 1904 several were taken 

 with hand-lines near Newquay. The Bib, Pout, or Whiting 

 Pout (G. luscus, L.) is still plentiful all round the coast, though 

 Dunn/, says it is not so abundant as formerly. It is one of the 

 most local of fish, concealing itself in thousands in the same 

 gully or channel or ledge on a sunken rock year after year, and 

 venturing out to feed on low rock or sand only at night. In its 

 gully or "Bib-pit " it takes bait, as a rule, most voraciously, and 

 numbers may be taken in a remarkably short time, provided the 

 exact locality of the Bib-chain can be hit upon, but only a few 



