[57] So great is the variation in the snout of the Sturgeon, that Dr. Parnell in his excellent essay on "The Fishes of the District of the Forth," describes the Sharp-nosed Sturgeon as a distinct species under the name of Acipenser sturio, and the broad-nosed form he calls A. latirostris. His views, however, have not been generally accepted, and only one British species is recognised. The Sharp-nosed variety has been taken here, but the normal form is much more frequent.
Sometimes wee meet with a mola or moonefish[58] so called from some resemblance it hath [from crossed out] of a crescent in the extreme part of the body from one finne unto another one being taken neere the shoare at yarmouth before breake of day seemed to shiuer & grunt like an hogge as Authors deliuer of it the flesh being hard & neruous it is not like to afford a good dish butt from the Liuer wch is [white crossed out] large white & tender somewhat [wee crossed out] may bee expected [for crossed out] the gills of these fishes wee found thick beset with a kind of sealowse. [Added subsequently] in the yeare 1667 a mola was taken at monsley wch weighed 2 [p crossed out] hundred pound.
[58] This fish (Orthagoriscus mola), which we know as the Sun-fish, has been repeatedly taken here. For an account of its parasites see Cobbold on the "Sun-fish as a host," "Intellectual Observer," ii., p. 82; also Day, "Brit. Fishes," ii., p. 275. According to Dr. Spencer Cobbold the Sun-fish is infested by nine species of Helminths, three of which are mostly found attached to the gills, while a fourth adheres to the surface of the body.
The Rana piscatrix or frogge fish[59] is sometimes found in a very large magnitude & wee haue taken the [paynes crossed out] care [written above] to haue them clend & stuffed. wherein wee obserued all the appendices whereby the[y] cach fishes butt much larger then are discribed in the Icons of Johnstonus tab xi fig 8.
[59] Both this species and the Wolf-fish are well known upon our coast.
[Fol. 26] The sea [wollf crossed out] wolf or Lupus nostras of Schoneueldus remarkable for its spotted skinne & notable teeth incisors Dogteeth & grinders the dogteeth [in the crossed out] both in the jawes & palate scarce answerable by any fish of that bulk for [strength crossed out] the like disposure strength & soliditie.
Mustela marina[60] called by some a wesell ling wch salted & dryed becomes a good Lenten dish.
[60] Some member of the family Gadidæ is here referred to, probably the five-bearded Rockling, Motella mustela, or Brown Whistle-fish of Pennant, which is occasionally taken by our fishermen, but is by no means common.
A Lump or Lumpus Anglorum so named by Aldrouandus by some esteemed a festiuall dish though it affordeth butt a glutinous jellie & the skinne is beset with stony knobs after no certaine order ours most answereth the first figure in the xiii table of Johnstonus butt seemes more round & arcuated then that figure makes it.
Before the herrings there com̄only cometh a fish about a foot long by the fish man called an horse[61] resembling in all poynts the Trachurus of Rondeletius of a mixed shape between a mackerell & an herring. obseruable from [an oblique bo crossed out] its greene eyes rarely skye colored back after it is kept a day & an oblique bony line running on ye outside from the gills vnto ye tayle. a drye & hard dish butt makes an handsome picture.