Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/583

Rh Mackerel and in the Herring nets. Fine examples are often found lying at the harbour mouth, undoubtedly thrown overboard as useless. It is seldom or ever eaten here. Small ones are frequently thrown ashore by the surf in October, running from 2½ in. to 4 in. in length. The Pagets say "it is rarely caught; and those that are taken are generally very small." According to J.H.G., "Frequent off Lowestoft." It may be that the young ones referred to were keenly in pursuit of young fry (vide Norf. and Nor. Trans. 1872–3, p. 31). Local, "Horse-mackerel."

* Xiphias gladius. Swordfish. A.—One came ashore at Palling beach on Nov. 30th, 1881. Length, 7 ft. 3 in.; sword (minus a small portion), 2 ft. 3 in.; radius of tail, 2 ft. The stomach contained food reduced to thin mucus. Another, taken into Lowestoft on Sept. 27th, 1893. Length, 9 ft. It was entangled in a Mackerel net.

* Gobius minutus. Little Goby. C.—Is abundant in the summer months; and is a frequent "take" in the Shrimp-nets. Is common enough on Breydon, where it seems quite at home on the ooze of the shallows. Has a curious way of hiding itself from view when disturbed, by stirring up the soil with its large ventral fins. Local, "Gobble-belly," "Gobble-guts."

G. unipunctatus. One-spotted Goby. C.(?)—Dr. Lowe thus disposes of it: "Norfolk estuary. Very common, Yarmouth.—Pagets." I have deemed it advisable to put a "?" to its local claim, as I have been unable to identify the species at present. It can hardly have been overlooked. Pagets' record is equally obtuse: Note—"Gobius minutus, Spotted Goby; occasionally taken in Shrimp nets." He refers to no other.

†G. ruthensparri. Two-spotted Goby. A.—I first obtained this species on April 13th, 1891, from a local shrimper. Curiously enough the same individual brought me a second on the 15th; and a third on the 18th; since which I have obtained no others. The "turning up" of more than one example of a hitherto rare or unrecorded species is a notable thing in ichthyology. It was, if we except Dr. Day's finding, prior to this, unrecorded for the county. It is decidedly the handsomest of the Gobidæ. Couch's figure, described as the Broad-finned Goby, fig. ci. vol. ii. p. 165, is identical in appearance with the above species. His so-called Two-spotted Goby, No. 3, fig. c,