A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK upwards of i cwt. It is remarkable for its bril- liant colours. It is an oceanic fish, but not probably an inhabitant of the great depths. It is frequently seen on the coast of Norway, and in Britain the greater number of specimens have been taken in the north. It evidently enters the North Sea from the north, as it has not been recorded on the English coast between Suffolk and Cornwall. 32. Scad or Horse-mackerel. Caranx irachurus, Linn. Common off Lowestoft in the mackerel season, and taken in mackerel nets. 33. Pilot-fish. Naucrates ductor, Linn. The only record seems to be that of Mr. Gurney, who informed Lowe that many years before 1873 he saw a specimen which had been recently caught off the Suffolk coast. 34. Greater Weever. Trachinus draco, Linn. Extremely abundant on the trawling grounds off Lowestoft (Brown Ridges). Numbers are fi-equently seen with red and grey gurnard in heaps in the trawl market, for sale as food. 35- Lesser Weever. Val. Trachinus v'tpera, Cuv. and Common on the shrimping grounds, such as Newcome Sand, and also on the trawling grounds, but too small to have any market value. It is remarkable that Lowe in his Fishes of Norfolk scoffs at the ' erroneous idea,' which he says was still held by the fishermen, that a wound inflicted by the dorsal fin is poisoned. It may be true that the spines of the dorsal fin are not poisonous, but it is certain that the fish possesses a venomous sting in its opercular spine. The present writer has had painful experience of the effects of a prick from this spine, and can testify- that the venom acts as an irritant to the nerves. It produced the most intense pain, extending from the wound in the thumb up to the shoulder, and lasting for about five minutes, but did not have any other effects. The wound did not become inflamed or festered, and the pain, although almost unbearable while it lasted, soon subsided completely. The involuntary experi- ment was made on board a Lowestoft shrimping boat, and can easily be repeated by anyone who desires further proof. 36. Dragonet or Skulpin. Linn. CaUionymus lyra, I saw several specimens taken in the trawl on one of the Lowestoft trawlers in September 1895. Probably the species is common on the trawling grounds, as, the fish being small and slender, many would escape through the meshes. The male and female in this species are very different and were formerly supposed to be distinct species, the former being known from its brilliant colouring as the gemmeous dragonet and the latter as the sordid dragonet. The male is adorned with vivid blue and yellow markings and has the first dorsal fin greatly elongated. The fishes perform an elaborate process of court- ship when breeding, which was very completely studied by Mr. E. W. L. Holt and described by him in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1898. 37. Cat-fish or Wolf-fish. Anarrhichas lupus, Linn. Is recorded by Paget from Yarmouth and therefore probably occurs occasionally. 38. Butterfish or Gunnel. Linn. Recorded at Yarmouth. Centronotus gunnellus. 39. Viviparous Linn. Blenny. Zoarces viviparus, Gurney says that adult specimens are found near the beach at Lowestoft, and in the later summer months young ones about an inch in length are abundant in the upper part of the inner harbour, where they frequent the mud banks. 40. Angler, Fishing-frog, or Monk-fish. Lophius piscatorius, Linn. Recorded by Paget at Yarmouth. According to Lowe's fourth list quite a number were captured by the mackerel boats at Lowestoft in the autumn of 1897, but he does not explain how a purely ground fish like this came to be captured in drift nets ; it is usually taken by the trawl. ANACANTHINI 41. Cod. Gadus morrhua, Linn. Occurs but is not very abundant. It was not taken in the trawl in the voyage which I made in a Lowestoft smack, but appears occasionally in the records of the International Investigations from Lowestoft grounds. 42. Haddock. Gadus aeglefinus, Linn, Considerable numbers of haddock are landed at Lowestoft, but they are chiefly obtained from the deeper water to the north. On the Brown Ridges where the depth is mostly from 10 to 15 fethoms I saw none, and they are not mentioned in the records of the International Investigations as occurring on the grounds off the Suffolk coast. 166
