Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/416

390 was not at all injured. It had been seen for five or six months previously in that neighbourhood hawking about a trout-stream. It is now in confinement, and seems to be doing well.— (Bridlington).

—In a glass vase in the east saloon of the Royal Aquarium, Westminster, is a fine brood of the Great Pipe-fish, Syngnathus acus, recently developed there, affording a good opportunity for observing a portion of the economy of this curious animal. The parent of these little strangers (the male) was received some weeks ago, and on arrival it was observed to carry ova, which had been previously transferred to its "pouch" by a female, before captivity. How long the ova had been thus carried I am unable to state, but they then appeared to be in an early stage of development, for they visibly enlarged in the pouch, causing it to distend very considerably. As most naturalists know, this curious transference of the eggs from the female to a pouch-like process of the male is a part of the life-history of this species. It has not yet been satisfactorily decided how long the ova are carried by the males, but that it is for some time has been proved in this instance; for the actual separation of the young from the parent occurred at least seven weeks after the arrival of the latter in this Aquarium. I cannot corroborate the statement of some authors that the young, on alarm, return to the pouch of the male for safety. On this occasion the young seemed, immediately after birth, to disperse in any direction over the tank in which they were confined. This being a large one, some of them were at times several yards distant from the parent, which, when touched, simply looked after its own safety, and the young had to take care of themselves. These little Syngnathi are now (July 4th) about three weeks old, and are an inch and three-eighths long, having grown double their own length in about fourteen days. They are feeding well upon minute organisms, which they find amongst the vegetation growing in the vase. I have every reason to expect rearing them to maturity, which will be a matter of great interest, for I am right, I believe, in stating that this is the first instance of the development of the youug of this species in a public Aquarium.—, (Naturalist and Curator Royal Aquarium, Westminster).

—I have taken in my trammel here a specimen of the Long-legged Spider Crab, Stenorhynchus phalangium, having conspicuously the small single bristle at the apex of the eye, noted by Prof. Bell. It is stated by him to be common, but that is not my experience of it in Mount's Bay. I have neither taken nor seen a specimen of it for several years.— (Penzance).

—In the reports of the Linnean Society in our August number a few misprints have accidentally crept in, for which the reporter is not responsible, as no proof for correction was sent him. Adopting the official routine, the printer also added "Secretary" to the