Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/162

130 Curlew in Langston Harbour, among a flock of Dunlins. Aug. 2nd, saw a few Greenshanks in Portsmouth Harbour."— (College, Winchester).

Malformed Codfish.—In the course of ray observations on the fishes of this district, variations in the forms, or deviations from the normal shape in certain species, have come from time to time under my notice. The tendency to abnormality appears to be greater in the Cod (Gadus morrhua) than in any other species. Occasionally a Haddock or a Gurnard has presented itself as an example of the grotesque, but it is the Cod, whose numbers are certainly not in excess of any other common "round" fish, which leads the way. The specimens in the illustration are amongst the number that have come under my notice, and are as follows:—

A.—The normal shape.

B.—A 15½-inch Codling netted off Gorleston beach, Jan. 11th, 1898. The tip-end of the pectoral fins was exactly midway between the extreme ends of the tail and snout. The fish was only three-fourths the length it should have been for the size of the " head and shoulders."

C.—A deformed example, seen on a fish-stall of this town, Jan. 20th 1890. It looked a veritable Æsop. Length guessed as about 20 in.

D.—An example of the "Bull-dog" variety, taken May 1st, 1894. Length, 16 in.

E.—On Jan. 17th this strange-looking specimen was hooked by a seaangler fishing from the jetty. Length, 16 in. It is a curious fact that most of the Gadus varieties I have examined measured this length. E a shows the mouth closed.— (Ibis House, Great Yarmouth).