of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



79 



APPENDIX F.— No. VII. 



NOTE on some of the Specimens forwarded by the Officers of the 

 Board. By J. Cossar Ewart, M.D. 



1. Torpedo nobiliana, Plate XI. 



jfhis Torpedo was taken in a trawl in 40 fathoms water off Lybster, 

 in January last, and forwarded by Mr Low. Torpedoes have probably 

 been caught by fishermen in Scottish waters before, but none as far as I am 

 aware have been preserved. The specimen sent to the Board measured 

 28 inches in length and 19 J inches across the pectoral fins, and was 13 

 pounds in weight. Being a rare form, it was presented to the Edinburgh 

 Science and Art Museum. None of the existing drawings being satis- 

 factory, a sketch (Plate XI.) has been made, which, in addition to showing 

 the general form, the characteristic smooth oval spiracles, and the large 

 first dorsal fin, indicates the position of the electric organs and of the 

 system of sensory canals at each side of the middle line. The colour of 

 the upper surface of Torpedo nobiliana varies from a reddish grey to 

 nearly black, and there may even be large irregular spots scattered over it, 

 while the under surface is always nearly white. In the Lybster specimen 

 the upper surface was of a uniform dark chocolate colour. 



Torpedo nobiliana has been described as — ■ 



(1) Torpedo Wcdshii, Thompson. 



(2) Torpedo hebetans, Lowe, Gunther. 



(3) Torpedo emarcjinata, M'Coy. 



(4) Torpedo nigra, Guichen. 



It differs from Torpedo marmorata (which is also said to occur in 

 British waters), in having the spiracles smooth, and the first dorsal fin 

 considerably larger than the second — in T. marmorata of the Medi- 

 terranean the spiracles are fringed, and the first dorsal is only slightly 

 larger than the second dorsal fin. 



T. nobiliana is found in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic as far 

 south as Madeira. Specimens 3 feet in length have been taken off the 

 coast of Cornwall. 



2. Serranus cabrilla, Plate XII. 



Serranus cabrilla (Comber) and occasionally Serranus gigas (Dusky 

 Perch) are found along the south coast of England, but there is no record 

 of either having extended into the North Sea. In Day's British Fishes 

 it is mentioned that S. cabrilla ' does not appear to extend to the Straits 

 ' of Dover on the east, nor so high as the Bristol Channel on the west;' 

 and it is added that, 'it has not been recorded from Ireland.' It, however, 

 is found in the Mediterranean, ' as far south as the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and the Island of St Paul in the Southern Indian Ocean. 



The specimen figured was taken recently 22 miles N.E. of Flugo 

 Lighthouse (Shetland) in 80 fathoms water, and forwarded by Mr Mac- 

 donald, Eishery officer. 



Serranus cabrilla has been described under the following names — 

 Xavrj, Salviani. 



Perca, Rondel, Gesner, Brunnich, Jonston, Ray. 

 Perca channus, Couch. 

 Perca cabrilla, Linnceus, Gmel., Jenyns. 

 Holocentrus virescens, Block, Lacep. 



„ marinus, Lacep. 

 Lutjanus serranus, Lacep. 

 Serranus marinus and flavus, Risso. 



,, novemcinctus, Kner. 

 Comber, Couch. 



