476 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



near RocklifFe. The supply of Mackerel netted upon our open 

 seaboard has always varied from season to season. The Carlisle 

 Journal of June 21, 1834, announced that a very abundant 

 supply of Mackerel, of fine quality, had been caught off White- 

 haven during the previous week, and had in some cases been 

 sold as cheaply as three-halfpence each. In 1839 the Carlisle 

 Patriot of June 8 reported a catch of 228 Mackerel, taken off 

 Whitehaven, as the first of the season. Stragglers are often 

 taken on the line near Silloth. 



Order ACANTHOPTERYGII. Fam. SCOMBEIDuE. 



GEKMOK 



Orcynus germo (Lacep.). 



The Germon is the only species of fish which I have been 

 able to record as taken in British waters, north of the English 

 channel, for the first time. The specimen in question was found 

 stranded in a creek of Burgh marsh (which creek I visited soon 

 after) early in October 1889, by one of the Glasson fishermen. 

 It was in fine condition, and would have been cooked by its 

 owner, had not tidings of its occurrence reached James Smith. 

 Smith has a commission from me to secure any unusual fishes, 

 and on hearing of this fish he at once secured it. He came to 

 report it to me a few days later, and to say that he had made a 

 rough skin of it. It weighed 11 lbs. and possessed a very 

 beautiful eye. The long sickle-shaped fin convinced me that 

 our prize could only be referred to Thynnus alalonga; but, having 

 no material by me for comparison, I took the fish to the Natural 

 History Museum, where Mr. G. A. Boulanger kindly confirmed 

 my decision. 



Although the Germon has occupied a place in the British list 

 for a long number of years, this appears to be only the fifth 

 example hitherto recorded from British waters, and to be con- 

 siderably more northern than the others, all four of which refer 

 to the coasts of Cornwall and Devon. The occurrence of the 

 Cumbrian specimen was recorded in that useful journal, The 

 Naturalist. 1 



1 The Naturalist, 1890, p. 15. 



