﻿FISHES. 
  

  

  215 
  

  

  caught 
  by 
  trawl, 
  fourteen 
  miles 
  off 
  Aberdeen, 
  on 
  October 
  1st, 
  

   1890, 
  since 
  which 
  time 
  many 
  others 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  by 
  

   the 
  same 
  means 
  off 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Kincardine 
  and 
  off 
  Montrose, 
  

   the 
  majority 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  come 
  into 
  my 
  hands. 
  Indeed, 
  

   since 
  the 
  foregoing 
  was 
  written, 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  dozen 
  specimens 
  

   have 
  reached 
  me, 
  all 
  caught 
  off 
  Aberdeenshire. 
  

  

  The 
  creature 
  frequents 
  hard 
  and 
  sandy 
  ground, 
  and 
  is 
  

   caught 
  always 
  where 
  Ecliina 
  are 
  abundant. 
  Six 
  specimens 
  

   came 
  to 
  hand 
  on 
  January 
  7th, 
  1898; 
  five 
  of 
  these 
  were 
  females, 
  

   three 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  laden 
  with 
  spawn 
  so 
  ripe 
  that 
  it 
  would 
  

   have 
  been 
  shed 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  days. 
  This 
  spawn 
  was 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  light 
  

   transparent 
  yellow, 
  and 
  each 
  egg 
  considerably 
  larger 
  than 
  that 
  

   of 
  the 
  herring. 
  In 
  the 
  other 
  two 
  fishes 
  the 
  spawn 
  was 
  not 
  so 
  

   far 
  advanced. 
  From 
  these 
  facts, 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  spawning 
  is 
  the 
  

   months 
  of 
  January 
  and 
  February. 
  The 
  stomachs 
  of 
  the 
  

   females, 
  having 
  the 
  ripe 
  spawn 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  others 
  well 
  

   advanced, 
  were 
  filled 
  with 
  Crustacea, 
  viz., 
  Hippolyte 
  spinus, 
  

   Crangon 
  vulgaris, 
  and 
  Pandulus 
  anrmlicornis. 
  It 
  is 
  thus 
  evident 
  

   that 
  the 
  statement 
  often 
  made 
  that 
  fish 
  do 
  not 
  feed 
  when 
  full 
  

   of 
  spawn 
  is 
  erroneous. 
  

  

  Family 
  PEDICULATI, 
  Cuvier. 
  

  

  Genus 
  LOPHIUS, 
  Artedi. 
  

  

  Lophius 
  piscatorius, 
  Linn. 
  "Fishing 
  Frog." 
  "Cathie" 
  

   " 
  Angler." 
  " 
  Sea-devil." 
  " 
  Monk-fish." 
  " 
  Wide-gab." 
  

   "Kethrie." 
  " 
  Kethek." 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  the 
  Firth 
  of 
  Forth 
  the 
  Angler 
  is 
  frequently 
  taken 
  both 
  

   by 
  hook 
  and 
  net, 
  and 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   estuary." 
  (Parnell.) 
  " 
  Is 
  frequently 
  met 
  with, 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  

   used 
  as 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  food." 
  (Edward.) 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  common 
  fishes 
  along 
  our 
  coast, 
  

   but 
  seldom, 
  if 
  ever, 
  caught 
  by 
  line. 
  It 
  is 
  frequently 
  cast 
  upon 
  

   the 
  beach 
  during 
  storms, 
  and 
  is 
  caught 
  in 
  immense 
  quantities 
  

   by 
  trawl 
  - 
  fishers. 
  Many 
  tons 
  are 
  brought 
  into 
  Aberdeen 
  

   Market 
  yearly. 
  It 
  is 
  never 
  used 
  as 
  food 
  along 
  the 
  north-east 
  

   coast 
  ; 
  still, 
  when 
  properly 
  cooked, 
  it 
  makes 
  a 
  very 
  good 
  

   article 
  of 
  diet. 
  

  

  