A HISTORY OF CORNWALL extent. Hence the freshwater fishes are not abundant either in species or individuals. Salmon and peal are regularly fished in the Camel and Fowey, but the freshwater trout are small, and a number of freshwater species common in central England, as, for example, the pike (Esox lucius, Linn.), the roach (Leuciscus rutilus, Linn.), the chub (L. cepbalus, Linn.), the bream (Abramis brama, Linn.) are entirely absent. An asterisk prefixed to the name in the following list indicates a freshwater species ; two asterisks denote occurrence in both fresh and salt water. TELEOSTEANS ACANTHOPTERYGII
- I. Perch. Perca fluviatilis, Linn.
Stated by Borlase in 1758 to be unknown in Cornwall, but according to J. Couch was introduced in the last century.
- 2. Sea Bass. Morone labrax, Linn. ; Labrax
lupus, Day. Common, and often of large size. Large shoals are sometimes seined near Sennen Cove at the Land's End. It is also taken in seines at other parts of the coast, and is caught by hook and line. It often enters the estuaries, e.g. Helford river, the Tamar, etc. 3. Comber. Serranus cabrilla, Linn. First obtained by J. Couch at Polperro ; occurs frequently at Mevagissey ; recorded by T. Cornish from Mount's Bay (Zoo/. 1 866). 4. Epinepbelus eeneus, Geoffr. Under the English name dusky perch and the scientific name Serranus gigas, Cuv., J. Couch in his British Fishes described 'and figured a specimen 3 feet long taken with a line near Polperro about the year 1830. Day gives a description and figure under the same names, his figure being taken from a specimen sent from the museum at Berlin. Later ichthyologists, namely Moreau, Poissons de la France, and Doderlein, Mediterranean Ichthy- ology, have identified the figures of both Couch and Day as representing a fish of the species Epinepbelus aneus, Geoffr., and not Serranus gigas, and this conclusion is confirmed by Dr. G. A. Boulenger (Brit. Mm. Catalogue, ed. 2, vol. i.) J. Couch states that two rther specimens of 5. gigas were obtained by Cocks at Falmouth, one of which was sent to the British Museum, and R Q Couch (Z ao /. 1846) stated on the authority of Mr. L. Ch.rgwin that two other specimens i been caught in Mount's Bay. Whether these other specimens were or the same species as Couch's or not it is impossible to decide, as nothing is known at the British Museum of a specimen from Falmouth. Epinepbelus &neus occurs in the Mediterranean, and on the west coast of Africa, but has not yet been found on the coasts of Portugal or the west coast of France. Bl. 5- Stone Bass. Polyprion americanus, Schn. ; P. cernium, Day. First recorded in British waters by Couch, who obtained it at Polperro. Reported in 1845 as common between Land's End and the Scilly Isles. Mr. Dunn sent one from Mevagissey to the Plymouth Laboratory in 1892 ; Mr. Cornish obtained one at Penzance in 1878. This fish is often called the wreck- fish from its habit of following wreckage, apparently in order to feed on the barnacles with which floating timbers are usually covered. Mr. J. B. Cornish gaffed one near wreckage off Newlyn in 1893 (R e p. P enz Nat. Hist. Sac. 1893-4). 6. Maigre or Shade-fish. Sciarna aquila I ' ' ' Lacep. According to Day this fish is often taken off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall in summer and autumn. He mentions records of one in 1843 taken off Mevagissey which was 6 feet long; in 1844 one taken off Fowey ; in 1863 one at Penzance recorded by Cornish, and a small one in 1881 taken in a trammel at Mevagissey. Dentex vu/garis, 294 7. Four-toothed Gilt Head. Cuv. & Val. A Mediterranean species of which occa- sional wanderers have been taken on the south coast. Two obtained by Cocks at Falmouth in 1846 and 1851 are recorded in J. Couch's British Fishes. 8. Black Sea Bream. Montagu. Couch records two at Polperro, and Mr. Cornish others at Penzance. The latter observer states that one 7^ inches long was taken at Penzance in May 1880, and a Cantharus lineatus,
