. Proceedings - Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. thefishermen on the Chesil Beach opposite to myhouse, in the neighbourhood of the part which theField Club visited when it came to Weymouthlast August. I thought that a few notes on these fish might beinteresting, though, as I have never studied ichthyology, I fear thatmy notes will be unscientific ones. The Mackerel (Scomber scomber) is the staple fish of the ChesilBeach, and is what the fishermen fish for. It is caught from Mayonwards during the summer in considerable numbers, but has beencomparatively scarce for the last few
. Proceedings - Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society. thefishermen on the Chesil Beach opposite to myhouse, in the neighbourhood of the part which theField Club visited when it came to Weymouthlast August. I thought that a few notes on these fish might beinteresting, though, as I have never studied ichthyology, I fear thatmy notes will be unscientific ones. The Mackerel (Scomber scomber) is the staple fish of the ChesilBeach, and is what the fishermen fish for. It is caught from Mayonwards during the summer in considerable numbers, but has beencomparatively scarce for the last few years. All other fish may beregarded as accidentally caught in the nets which are cast formackerel. One side of a long and comparatively narrow net isfastened along a rope with corks at intervals, and one end of therope is held by the men on the beach whilst a boat takes the netout to sea and drops it along a curved line a little way from theland, bringing the other end of the rope on shore at a shortdistance. Each end of the rope is then pulled by 8 or 10 men,. CHESIL BEACH FISH. 163 who walk along the beach for, perhaps, a quarter of a mile,gradually hauling in the net, and eventually pulling it on shorewith the fish enclosed in it. When a fish of any size is caught it is usually put on a waggonwhich perambulates the neighbourhood and then proceeds toWeymouth, and occasionally as far as Dorchester, if the fishremains in good condition long enough and is attractive to thepublic. About a year ago a large sunfish (Orthagoriscus mola) was caughtin the nets. It measured about six feet in length, and somewhatmore between the tips of the fins. This fish is of a most extra-ordinary oval shape, nearly round, and has a habit of sunningitself on the surface of the water, and from this habit or from itsround shape it derives its name. It is found occasionally onvarious parts of the British coast. The fishermen said that therewas also a second sunfish, which they did not catch. The sunfi
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