﻿FISHES. 
  

  

  249 
  

  

  Order 
  PHYSOSTOMI, 
  Mulhr. 
  

  

  Family 
  STERNOPTYCHID^. 
  

  

  Genus 
  MAUROLICUS, 
  Cocco. 
  

  

  Maurolicus 
  pennantii, 
  Day. 
  Sheppy 
  argentine, 
  Pennant, 
  

   Low. 
  Scopelus 
  humbolti, 
  Yarrell. 
  Scopelus 
  borealis, 
  

   Nilsson. 
  Scopelus 
  pennantii, 
  Cuv. 
  Argentina 
  hebridica, 
  

   Gtinther. 
  Argentine, 
  Couch. 
  

  

  This 
  little 
  fish 
  is 
  cast 
  upon 
  the 
  beach 
  at 
  Aberdeen 
  

   in 
  great 
  numbers 
  during 
  the 
  months 
  of 
  January, 
  February, 
  

   and 
  March, 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  as 
  early 
  in 
  winter 
  as 
  

   November 
  27th. 
  "Common 
  at 
  Banff" 
  (Edward); 
  and 
  Peach 
  

   has 
  recorded 
  it 
  from 
  Wick. 
  The 
  distribution 
  is 
  wide 
  ; 
  it 
  has 
  

   been 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Greenland 
  seas, 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Scandinavia, 
  

   all 
  around 
  the 
  British 
  islands, 
  and 
  through 
  the 
  Mediterranean, 
  

   where 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  by 
  me 
  cast 
  upon 
  the 
  shore 
  at 
  Cannes 
  

   in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  November. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  observed, 
  in 
  passing, 
  that 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  this 
  little 
  

   fish 
  are 
  entirely 
  unknown. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  that 
  "they 
  are 
  

   thrown 
  on 
  our 
  shores 
  in 
  varying 
  numbers, 
  and 
  in 
  proportion 
  

   to 
  the 
  violence 
  of 
  the 
  weather" 
  — 
  a 
  statement 
  quite 
  at 
  

   variance 
  with 
  fact, 
  that 
  is 
  if 
  the 
  statement 
  is 
  meant 
  to 
  

   show 
  that 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  only 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  when 
  violent 
  weather 
  

   sets 
  in, 
  which 
  the 
  present 
  writer 
  understands 
  it 
  to 
  mean. 
  

   I 
  have 
  for 
  many 
  years 
  watched 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  this 
  fish, 
  

   and 
  have 
  observed 
  that 
  during 
  violent 
  weather 
  it 
  is 
  never 
  

   cast 
  upon 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  not 
  until 
  the 
  storm 
  has 
  passed 
  and 
  

   the 
  sea 
  again 
  become 
  calm 
  is 
  there 
  the 
  least 
  hope 
  of 
  seeing 
  

   Pennantii 
  thrown 
  up, 
  and 
  then 
  in 
  a 
  living 
  or 
  perfectly 
  fresh 
  

   condition, 
  showing 
  clearly 
  that 
  the 
  storm 
  has 
  nothing 
  to 
  do 
  

   with 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  being 
  so 
  cast 
  up. 
  How 
  they 
  manage 
  

   to 
  escape 
  the 
  storm 
  is 
  a 
  trait 
  in 
  their 
  habits 
  yet 
  to 
  be 
  

   accounted 
  for. 
  All 
  I 
  can 
  in 
  the 
  meantime 
  say 
  is 
  that 
  such 
  

   is 
  the 
  case 
  as 
  shown 
  from 
  many 
  years' 
  observation, 
  and 
  that 
  

   if 
  the 
  weather 
  continues 
  boisterous, 
  Pennantii 
  need 
  not 
  be 
  

   expected 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  indicated 
  above. 
  

  

  