[61] This is the Horse Mackerel, or Scad, Caranx trachurus; a handsome fish and common enough, especially off Sheringham, but not much esteemed for the table.
The Rubelliones or Rochets[62] butt thinly met with on this coast. the gornart cuculus or Lyræ species more often wch they seldome eat butt bending the back & sprdding the finnes into a liuely posture do hang them up in their howses.
[62] Fish of the Gurnard kind are here referred to. The Rochet of Pennant is the Red Gurnard, Trigla cuculus; he calls T. lyra the Piper. Large numbers of various species of Gurnard are brought in by our trawlers and sell readily, especially the Sapphirine Gurnard, or Tub-fish (T. hirundo), which is known as the "Lachet" on our coast; it reaches a large size, and seems to be much in demand for the table. In spring the colours are very brilliant, and they are frequently seen on the fish stalls with their pectoral fins extended as Browne describes.
[Fol. 27.] Beside the com̄on mullus[63] or mullet there is another not vnfrequent wch some call a cunny fish butt rather a red muellett of a flosculous redde & somewhat rough on the scales answering the discription of [Rond crossed out] Icon of Rondeletius vnder the name of mullus ruber asper [no crossed out] butt not the tast of the vsually knowne mullet as [being butt crossed out] affording butt a drye & leane bitt.
[63] The Common Mullet I take to be the Grey Mullet (Mugil capito), which is at times plentiful on our coast, coming into Breydon and the mouths of the rivers, but the Red Mullet (Mullus barbatus) is far less frequently met with. In his third [letter to Merrett], Browne says, "There is of them maior and minor," the latter probably being the variety known as the Surmullet, by far the most frequently met with here.
Seuerall sorts of fishes[64] there are wch [bear crossed out] do [written above] or may beare the names of seawoodcocks as the Acus maior scolopax & saurus. the saurus wee sometimes meet with yonge. Rondeletius confesseth it a very rare fish somewhat resembling the Acus or needlefish before & a makerell behind. wee have kept one dryed many yeares agoe.
[64] The Saurus of Rondeletius appears to be the Skipper or Saury-pike (Scombresox saurus) of modern authors. Acus major is the Gar-fish or Greenback (Belone vulgaris); this is the Acus primus of Rondeletius, Dr. Harmer has been good enough to send me the following note on Rondeletius's figures:—"De Acus secunda specie" (lib. viii. p. 229). "Two species are figured; the upper figure appears to represent Siphonostoma typhle, and the lower one S. acus. Günther ('Brit. Mus. Cat.,' viii. p. 157) gives a reference to Rondeletius in his synonyms of S. acer without indicating that the latter figures two species. Under S. typhle (p. 154) he gives the synonym Syngnathus rondeletii, De la Roche. A reference to Delaroche ('Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris,' xiii, 1809 p. 324, Pl. xxi. fig. 5) shows that S. rondeletii is identified with the first figure on p. 229 of Rondeletius; and it may thus be concluded that Günther agrees with this conclusion. It seems therefore probable that Browne's Acus of Aristotle refers to S. typhle."
The Acus maior calld by some a garfish & greenback answering ye figure of Rondeletius under the name of Acus prima species remarkable for its quadrangular figure and verdigreece green back bone.
[L] A lesser sort of Acus [wee crossed out] maior or primæ specæei wee meet with [answering the saurus of Rondeletius crossed out] much shorter then the com̄on garfish & in taking out the spine wee found it not green as in the greater & much answering the saurus of Rondeletius.
[L] This and the next paragraph on the back of Fol. 26 are in different ink and smaller writing though in the same hand, and appear to have been added subsequently. The first paragraph is omitted by Wilkin.