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Show 1879.] OF WESTON-SUPER-MARE, 757 pair 8 lbs. This is a new fishing-ground, having only been tried about 6 months. Numbers of oWier fish have been taken, and recently a Sturgeon. The waters close here cannot be trawled, because cod-lines have been in use for about the last hundred years, and every time one is sunk a large stone or two is let down with it; consequently the sea-bottom is studded with this kind of thing." SOLEA VARIEGATA, Donov., Variegated Sole; SOLEA VULGARIS, Gunther, the Lemon Sole; S O L E A MINUTA, Parnell, the Little Sole. Have all been recorded from Somersetshire. MAUROLICUS BOREALIS, Nilss. The Argentine. Seven examples taken at Weston by Higgins. SALMO SALAR, Linn. The Salmon. Occasionally an example gets into one of the stationary shrimp-nets in passing from the sea to the rivers or vice versa. It may be observed in this place that the authorities of the Brighton Aquarium have now conclusively demonstrated, what has long been known to every ichthyologist, that the Parr is the young Salmon. Mr. Francis Francis observes in the ' Field ' (August 2, 1879) that Mr. Berrington sent from tbe Usk "a beautiful consignment of small Parr, to the number of about twenty, about six or eight months ago, more than three fourths of which are still alive. They were placed in fresh water, and soon began to feed and take to their tank. From that time not one has died ; towards May, most of them began to assume the Smolt stage. I think there were only four which failed to do so, all the rest became veritable Smolts ; the four remained definite Parr. Then arose the question what were we do ; should we take out the Parr and leave the Smolts; and then introduce salt water gradually ? * * W e therefore thought we would sacrifice the four Parr, if it were necessary, as the belief formerly prevailed that to introduce Parr into salt water before they assumed tbe Smolt stage was certain death to them." He continued that salt water was gradually introduced ; the Smolts became rampant with pleasure while the Parr did not die. At last no fresh water remained in the tank; it was entirely marine. " Then the Parrs which had remained Parrs up to that time began to assume the Smolt stage, and now every one are brilliant active Smolt, miniature Salmon in fact, and as different fish from the duller and more inactive Parr as one could conceive." BELONE VULGARIS, Flemm. The Gar-fish or Gar-pike. Is occasionally taken off Weston. SCOMBERESOX SAURUS, Walb. The Skipper has been taken in Somersetshire. Mr. Dunn sent me a good example, 11 inches long, in September this year, which he observes " sprang into a fisherman's boat at midnight. I have known nearly a dozen similar instances." |