Page:VCH Norfolk 1.djvu/234

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A HISTORY OF NORFOLK

  • i I. Miller's Thumb or Noggle-head. Cottui

gohio, Linn. Upper Yare, Wensum.

  • A water-rail was picked up near the Yare,

and a little grebe in the Wensum, both choked in endeavouring to swallow a fish of this species.' — J. H, G. 12. Father-lasher or Bull-head. Cottus scor- pius, Linn. ' Mr. Patterson has obtained several very beautiful specimens of the variety named C. grtenlandicus at Yarmouth, one of which is in the Norwich Museum. I have seen others from Cley and Wells.'— T". S. 13. Bubalis. Cottus bubalis, Euphr. ' The first recorded capture of this species made April 7th, 1891, at Yarmouth.' — A. P. {Tram. Norf. and Nor. Nat. Soc, vol. v. p. 324)- Cromer. — y. H. G. I had previously found it in the Norfolk Estuary, and it is in Sir Thomas Browne's list. 14. Grey Gurnard. Trigia gurnardus, hinn. Yarmouth. — Paget. 15. Red Gurnard. Trig/a cuculus, Linn. Norfolk Estuary. — R. Elwes. Yarmouth. — Paget. Sir T. Browne speaks of Gornart cuculus as a Norfolk species. 16. Tubfish or Sapphirine Gurnard. Trigla hirundoy Bloch. Norfolk Estuary. — E. L. King, Mr. Cress- well ; T. PeecUoptera. Norfolk Estuary. — "J. L. 17. Streaked Gurnard. Trigla lineata, h'mn. Yarmouth, November, 1895. — J. P. Two others have been taken at Lowestoft. 18. Dogge. Agonus cataphractus^ Linn. Norfolk Estuary. Sir Thomas Browne evidently describes this species : ' A little corticated fish about 3 or 4 inches long, answering that which is named Piscis octangularis by Schonevaldus.' 'Octa- gonius versus caput, versus caudam hexa- gonius.' 19. Lump-sucker. Cyclopterus lumpus, Linn. I have seen five or six large ones taken in the Norfolk Estuary within the last ten years. Paget mentions ' one taken in the river ' at Yarmouth, in 1819. ' One in the Norwich Museum taken off Yarmouth, January, 1848, weighed 13^ lb.' — J. H, G. Sir Thomas Browne, says this fish is ' es- teemed by some a festival fish, though it afFordeth but a glutinous jelly, and the skin is beset with stony knots after no certain order.' A fine specimen was brought alive to me at Lynn, December nth, 1884. It weighed 17 lb. 'One weighing 26 lb. taken at Yarmouth, February 24th, 1897.' — A. P. [Trans. Norf. and Nor. Nat. Soc, vol. vi. P- 3)- 20. Sea Snail. Liparis vulgaris, Flem. Norfolk Estuary : not common. Cromer. -7. H. G. 21. Montagu's Sucker. Liparis montagui, Donov. I have frequently taken this fish, which is much more common than the preceding, in the Norfolk Estuary, and several times in the river opposite Lynn, in fresh water at low tide. Colonel Montagu, after whom this species is named, says it ' inhabits only the rocky parts of the coast, and of course is rarely taken with the dredge ' [Tarrell, vol. ii. p. 375). 22. Spotted Goby. Gobius minutus, Gmel. Norfolk Estuary. Northrepps. — J. H. G., September 2nd, 1874. 23. Two-spotted Goby. Gobius ruthensparri, Euphr. ; Gobius pusillus, J. Lowe. Mr. Day [Fishes of Great Britain and Ire- land, p. 161) considers these two as the same species : but there are, I think, well-marked differences. G. pusillus was first found by me near Lynn in 1880 (D. 6-10, A. 10, V. 10). Length i^ inches; head rather higher than broad ; dorsal fins closely approximate — as high as body. Body transparent, covered with dark spots, which are larger and square- shaped along lateral line ; anal and second dorsal fins equal and opposite ; third ray of first dorsal longest ; all the fins transparent, without dots ; end of tail square. When transferred to the aquarium from the pool in which they were discovered these, fish lived for a long time in quite fresh water, to which they had been gradually accustomed, but when suddenly placed in cold fresh water they were apparently asphyxiated, all the fins becoming rigidly expanded. They took food readily from the hand, and would attach themselves to the sides of the glass in any position by means of the ventral fin. 24. Rock Goby. Gobius niger, Linn. The late Mr. F. J. Cresswell informed me that he had taken a specimen of this fish at Hunstanton, June 13th, 1876. He com- pared it carefully with Couch's figure, and 202