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Show 742 MR. F. DAY ON THE FISHES [Dec. 2, 7. On the Fishes of Weston-super-Mare. By F. DAY, F.Z.S. [Eeceived November 18, 1879.] (Plates LXI. & LXII.) Having visited Weston-super-Mare in July this year, and remained there throughout most of August, I directed m y attention to the sea-fishes of that place, which, situated on the estuary of the Severn and the W y e as it enters the British Channel, is a locality too well known to call for any description : for the same reason I have deemed it unnecessary to allude to the remarkably high spring tides which occur. The amount of fishing going on was inconsiderable, boating apparently being a more profitable occupation. The shrimpers were daily at work; while stakes in narrow passes permitted the erection of stationary nets, into which small fishes and Crustacea were swept by an ebbing tide. Here I obtained most of m y specimens ; but the place so swarms with crabs (Carci-nus meenas, Linn.), that numerous little fishes were found partially devoured when the tide had ebbed sufficiently to permit the nets being examined. During the end of the first week in August, enclosures of a semicircular form were erected on tbe sands for the purpose of capturing flat fish (Pleuronectids). The one that appeared to be most successful was about 200 yards in length, the stakes raised to about three feet above the ground; and to these a long net was affixed. I daily went to the stake- and shrimp-nets, as well as to the enclosures on the sands already referred to. In drawing up this paper I took as m y groundwork Mr. W . Baker's (of Bridgewater) ' Fishes of Somersetshire,'l including Mr. Higgins's2 Remarks upon the Fishes of Weston-super-Mare, which he collected between the end of June and November 27, 1860. I likewise examined the specimens in the Taunton Museum, and the more extensive collection in that of Weston 3. The fishermen complained that the season had been an unprece-dently bad one, but that at times fishes had appeared most unexpectedly. This they could not account for, nor even propose any solution. Later on (September) large numbers of Soles were found to be present in the Channel, which had not been suspected ; and manv that were taken weighed as much as four pounds each. Reports from various sources lead one to the conclusion that ' Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1851. 2 ' Zoologist,' 1861. 3 This Museum is under Mr. Mable, to w h o m belongs most of the credit for its ever having been instituted. Commencing life as a shoemaker, he first set up a school for the poorest class. H e also collected the materials from which the Museum has sprung, of which he is now Curator, as well as Principal of the Institution attached to it. |