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  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  food. 
  Like 
  the 
  cod, 
  the 
  ling 
  is 
  a 
  voracious 
  feeder, 
  nothing 
  

   seems 
  to 
  come 
  amiss 
  — 
  knives, 
  steel 
  drills, 
  belaying 
  pins, 
  and 
  

   bottles 
  of 
  both 
  glass 
  and 
  pewter. 
  In 
  one, 
  which 
  was 
  opened 
  

   at 
  Aberdeen, 
  was 
  found 
  a 
  pint-bottle, 
  and 
  within 
  this 
  vessel 
  

   was 
  found 
  part 
  of 
  a 
  note 
  -book 
  with 
  the 
  following, 
  written 
  in 
  

   pencil 
  : 
  " 
  The 
  schooner 
  ' 
  Anna,' 
  of 
  Bangor, 
  in 
  a 
  sinking 
  state 
  ; 
  

   my 
  men 
  'as 
  given 
  up 
  ; 
  all 
  hopes 
  abandoned. 
  Writing 
  this, 
  

   dear 
  wife, 
  if 
  this 
  should 
  reach 
  shore, 
  know 
  what 
  'as 
  become 
  of 
  

   your 
  darling 
  Willie. 
  God 
  bless 
  you. 
  January 
  24th, 
  1886, 
  

   dreadful 
  storm 
  ; 
  both 
  masts 
  gone 
  ; 
  ship 
  water-logged. 
  Good- 
  

   bye, 
  dear 
  wife, 
  for 
  ever. 
  — 
  From 
  your 
  loving 
  husband, 
  Willie 
  

   Jenson." 
  

  

  Genus 
  LOTA, 
  Cuvier. 
  

   [Lota 
  vulgaris, 
  Cuv, 
  Burbot. 
  

  

  " 
  Two 
  specimens 
  found 
  in 
  Market 
  to-day, 
  June, 
  1861 
  ; 
  

   never 
  met 
  with 
  this 
  fish 
  before 
  — 
  one, 
  thirteen 
  and 
  one-half 
  

   inches 
  ; 
  the 
  other, 
  twelve 
  and 
  one-half 
  inches 
  long, 
  along 
  

   with 
  sea 
  fish 
  ; 
  upper 
  jaw 
  longest 
  ; 
  teeth 
  very 
  sharp." 
  

  

  The 
  above 
  is 
  a 
  MS. 
  note 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  Dr. 
  Dyce, 
  on 
  whose 
  

   authority 
  I 
  included 
  the 
  Burbot 
  in 
  my 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  Fishes 
  of 
  the 
  

   North-east 
  Coast 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  which 
  was 
  issued 
  by 
  the 
  Aberdeen 
  

   Natural 
  History 
  Society 
  many 
  years 
  ago. 
  Having 
  examined 
  

   one 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Dyce's 
  original 
  specimens, 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  

   he 
  was 
  labouring 
  under 
  a 
  mistake. 
  The 
  fish 
  he 
  named 
  the 
  

   Burbot 
  is 
  merely 
  a 
  young 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  ling.] 
  

  

  Genus 
  MOTELLA, 
  Cuvier. 
  

  

  Motella 
  mustela, 
  Nilss. 
  Five-bearded 
  Rockling. 
  

   " 
  Miller's 
  Thumb." 
  

  

  To 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  almost 
  every 
  pool 
  along 
  our 
  rocky 
  coasts. 
  

   The 
  young 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  small 
  pools 
  left 
  by 
  

   the 
  tide 
  during 
  the 
  months 
  of 
  September 
  and 
  October. 
  At 
  

   that 
  period 
  they 
  are 
  from 
  one 
  and 
  one-half 
  to 
  one 
  and 
  three- 
  

   quarters 
  inches 
  long 
  — 
  dark, 
  almost 
  black, 
  along 
  the 
  body 
  above 
  

   the 
  lateral 
  line, 
  silvery 
  below. 
  In 
  this 
  stage 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  

   looked 
  upon 
  for 
  long 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  species 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  

   "Motella 
  glauca, 
  Mackerel 
  Midge." 
  In 
  a 
  similar 
  position, 
  it 
  is 
  

  

  