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  THE 
  VERTEBRATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  fishers, 
  and 
  always 
  from 
  deep 
  water 
  ; 
  I 
  have 
  obtained 
  as 
  

   many 
  as 
  a 
  dozen 
  in 
  one 
  morning. 
  By 
  these 
  fishers 
  it 
  is 
  

   caught 
  all 
  the 
  year 
  round. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  seen 
  the 
  barbels 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  bifurcated. 
  This 
  

   fish 
  is 
  never 
  eaten, 
  being 
  looked 
  upon 
  with 
  great 
  dislike 
  ; 
  still 
  

   it 
  is 
  an 
  excellent 
  article 
  of 
  food. 
  

  

  Genus 
  RANICEPS, 
  Cuvier. 
  

  

  Raniceps 
  raninus, 
  Linn. 
  Lesser 
  Forked-beard. 
  

   "Tadpole 
  Fish." 
  

  

  Not 
  an 
  abundant 
  species. 
  Has 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Firth 
  

   of 
  Forth, 
  St. 
  Andrews 
  Bay, 
  and 
  Edward 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Several 
  of 
  

   these 
  are 
  now 
  known 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   Firth." 
  I 
  have 
  frequently 
  found 
  this 
  species 
  cast 
  upon 
  the 
  

   beach 
  at 
  Aberdeen, 
  always 
  after 
  storms. 
  

  

  Genus 
  BROSMIUS, 
  Cuvier. 
  

   Brosmius 
  brosme, 
  White. 
  Torsk. 
  Tusk. 
  " 
  Brismak." 
  

  

  " 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  occasionally 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  Firth 
  of 
  Forth." 
  

   (Parnell.) 
  " 
  There 
  are 
  few 
  of 
  these 
  fishes 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  our 
  

  

  neighbourhood 
  Some 
  are 
  caught 
  in 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  

  

  the 
  Murray 
  Firth 
  about 
  the 
  termination 
  of 
  the 
  Long-Forties 
  

   Bank." 
  (Arbuthnot.) 
  

  

  A 
  few 
  are 
  brought 
  into 
  Aberdeen 
  by 
  line 
  fishermen, 
  but 
  

   the 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  abundant 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  

   very 
  common 
  about 
  Shetland, 
  where 
  large 
  numbers 
  are 
  caught 
  

   by 
  trawlers 
  and 
  brought 
  to 
  Aberdeen 
  Market. 
  

  

  Family 
  OPHIDIID^S, 
  Mutter. 
  

  

  Genus 
  FIERASFER, 
  Cuvier. 
  

  

  Fierasfer 
  dentatus, 
  Cuv. 
  Drummond's 
  Echiodon. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  was 
  first 
  made 
  known 
  as 
  an 
  inhabitant 
  of 
  our 
  

   coast 
  by 
  Edward 
  of 
  Banff, 
  who 
  found 
  one 
  in 
  March, 
  1863. 
  

   I 
  found 
  one 
  at 
  Aberdeen, 
  March 
  18th, 
  1883, 
  since 
  which 
  

   time 
  several 
  others 
  have 
  been 
  got 
  by 
  me. 
  

  

  