THE GREAT FORKED BEARD. 
187 
M‘Skimmin’s History of Carrickfergus, viz. “ Gad. brosme, Torsk, very 
rare.” 
This is a northern fish : in Great Britain it is sometimes taken in the 
Forth becoming more common northwards. About the Orkney Islands 
it is common, and at the Shetlands abundant. 
The Great Forked Beard, Phycisfurcatus, Cuv., 
Has, in a very few instances, been taken on the North-East coast. 
In the Annals Nat. Hist. vol. ii. p. 14, 1 published the following note : — 
“ Physis furcatus , Flem., Common Fork -beard. — To Cortland G. M. 
Skinner, Esq., of Glynn Park, Carrickfergus, I am indebted for a remarkably 
fine specimen of this fish, which was kindly secured for me on its being stated 
by the fishermen who captured it to be a species quite unknown to them. It 
was taken on February 24, 1836 (a calm day), with a gaff or hook, as it ‘ lay 
floundering ’ on the surface of the water ; was very violent when brought on 
board, and before dying had struggled so hard as to divest itself of nearly all its 
scales.* 
“ The discrepancies of authors relative to the Phycisfurcatus induce me to add 
the following description of this individual : length 25 inches ; greatest depth of 
body 6| inches ; weight 6§ lbs. With Cuvier’s short description (Reg. An. t. ii. 
p. 335), and which is adopted in the Manual of British Vertebrate Animals, 
it agrees in only one of the three specific characters, that of the first dorsal being 
more elevated than the second. Its 3rd D. ray is longest, f being 3 inches in 
length, and terminating in a filament ; the 2nd ray is 2 inches, and the first but 
10 lines long. Upper jaw much the longer ; ventral fin, from base to extremity 
of the longer fork, 7f inches ; to that of the shorter 5f inches. Head 5 inches 
10 lines long, nearly as one to four in length of body ; P. fin rather more than 
half the length of the head, and central between the dorsal and ventral outline; 
profile rather angular from D. fin to eye, above which it is a little depressed ; 
eye exceeding an inch in diameter ; nostrils double, 3 lines apart ; beard very 
slight, 1 inch 2 lines long; 2nd D. and A. fins increase gradually in breadth 
posteriorly, at their termination cut square, or at right angles to the body ; no 
spines before the A. fin, as in those described by Mr. Couch (Linn. Trans., vol. 
xiv. p. 75) ; tail obscurely rounded ; lateral line much incurvated for two-thirds 
its length anteriorly ; vent 10§ inches from snout ; ‘ jaws and front of the vomer 
armed with several rows of sharp card- or rasp-like teeth.” 
“D. 9 — 64; A. 54; P. 17 (6th longest) ; V. 1 ; C. 24, reckoning all; Br. 7. 
“ Colour of body lilac grey, becoming paler towards the belly ; D. A. and C. 
fins lilac grey, terminated with black; P. fin dark grey ; V. fin greyish, towards 
extremity white ; interior of gill-covers rich purple ; eyes silvery round the 
pupil, thence to circumference brown. 
“ On dissection it proved a male, the milt weighing 11| oz. The stomach 
contained some Crustacea and two small whitings ( Merlangus vulgaris). 
“ Since the above was written, I have learned that a specimen taken about the 
same place occurred to the late Mr. Templeton (Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 411, 
New Series). The species should consequently have been omitted as an unre- 
corded Irish one ; but as a description was drawn up, and specimens had not 
come under the inspection of either Yarrell 7 or Jenyns previous to the publica- 
tion of their respective works, it has been considered better with this notice to 
retain it.” — Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. ii. 
* Specimens are in the Ordnance Collection. — R. B. 
f The error of Pennant and Cuvier in considering the 1st D. ray the longest 
may perhaps be attributed to a want of due examination, as otherwise it does so 
appear, and more especially in a dried specimen. 
X The first edition of Mr. Yarrell’s Br. Fishes was here referred to. 
