Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/614

580 his feet." It was estimated to weigh 5 to 6 cwt. The fish was quite fresh and was well fed, but its stomach was empty. Much of the flesh was eaten; this was red in colour and very firm when raw; fried, it resembled Eel, and fried well in its own fat, like that fish; boiled, it somewhat resembled Skate, the flesh being stringy.— (Maldon, Essex).

The Germon in British Waters.—The Germon, or Long-finned Tunny, Orcynus germo, Day, has long been known as a visitor to British seas; but so infrequent are its occurrences on our coasts that the late Dr. Day could only enumerate four distinct occasions upon which this fine species had been obtained within our limits, the whole of these relating to the south-west of England. No specimens were taken between 1865 and 1889, in which latter year I obtained an example from a creek upon Burgh Marsh—i.e. upon the upper shores of the Solway Firth. I have now the pleasure of recording the capture of a second specimen of this handsome Tunny in the Solway Firth. On October 25th, 1897, a living Germon was found stranded upon the sands near Silloth. It was secured by a labouring man, who saw that he had obtained a prize. He had the sense to ride off to me on his bicycle; but unfortunately I was away from home. He then wrote to my taxidermist, and offered it to him as representing me; but he, being very busy, and supposing the fish to be a common Tunny, declined it, and wrote to me to report it. On my return home I found that the owner of the fish had kept it (in the hope of a high price) until it became decomposed, and he had to bury it in his garden. I dug it up myself, and found the fish but little altered in appearance. It was a Germon, with a pectoral fin sixteen inches long. It measured 27£ inches in girth, and 38 inches in length from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail. I compared it with the figures given by Couch and Day. Couch's figure represents the Germon as tapering more sharply to the tail than was the case in this specimen; but perhaps this may be accounted for by the excellent condition of the recent wanderer. The left pectoral fin was damaged when disinterred; but I cut out the right pectoral fin as a proof of its identity. My identification of the 1889 specimen was confirmed at the Natural History Museum by Mr. Boulenger; since then I have procured other species of Tunny from the Solway Firth, as has my neighbour across the water, Mr. R. Service.— (Allonby Vicarage, Cumberland).