FISHES 487 



LING. 



Molva vulgaris, Flem. 



Ling are commonly taken on the long lines during the 

 spring months, together with Cod and Skate. The presence of 

 large examples in our shallower waters is rather exceptional. 

 Mr. W. Nicol sent me a Ling measuring rather more than four 

 feet on the 22d of April 1892. He had taken it in his trawl- 

 net fishing off Skinburness. 



THREE-BEARDED ROCKLING. 



Motella tricirrata (BL). 



Dr. Heysham included this species in his catalogue without 

 remark, but his son reported to Yarrell an example which he 

 found exposed for sale in the Carlisle market on the 14th of 

 March 1833. A pencilled note, written on the margin of a 

 leaf of a copy of Yarrell's British Fishes belonging to the Carlisle 

 library, records that ' a specimen caught in the Solway Firth 

 was exhibited in Carlisle market January 22, 1858, measuring 

 1 6 inches in length.' The Carlisle Patriot says that the example 

 in question was taken near Browhouses. Bell of Glasson 

 caught one in the sparling nets in the very same part of the 

 estuary in October 1888. Mr. Nicol has taken several other 

 specimens in his shrimping -nets near Silloth. I have not 

 examined any examples from the open coast, but Mr. Newton 

 presented to the Kendal museum a Three-bearded Rockling 

 which had been caught at Silverdale in December 1866. 



TADPOLE HAKE. 



Raniceps trifurcus (Walb.). 



The only example of this fish that we know to have been 

 caught in our faunal waters has been preserved by Dr. Welby 

 I' Anson. It was caught near Whitehaven in the year 1887. 



