Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/376

352 the presence of this supposed enemy." I am pleased to say that I was able to secure one or two of these extraordinary parasites, which I have preserved in spirit. I was also much struck with the angular flu-like processes, one ou either side of the body, near the tail, the use of which, I have an idea, might possibly be — acting on the principle of the feathers on the end of an arrow — to steady and direct the swift course of the fish when making its vigorous thrust. The specimen is, without doubt, an adult one, from the fact of its dorsal fin, although very high in front, being worn down to a level with the back unto near the end, when it rises again into a small fin. It was very amusing to hear the exhibitor, when describing this "monster of the deep, or whale destroyer," as he called it, inform the visitors that the animal, having no teeth, evidently lived by "suction," at the same time saying how many mackerel, herrings, and pilchards he had taken from its stomach ; and that it was a young specimen, as a captain of a ship, who had seen hundreds three times as large as the one exhibited, informed him that when full grown, "there were teeth all along the edges of the sword!" — of course meaning the sawfish. A few years since I saw a portion of the beak of a swordfish which had been driven clean through the side or bottom of a Plymouth trawler, where it broke off and remained, but still causing a leak. During the month of July many sunfish, Tetraodon mola, made their appearance on the coast of Devon. An immense one was taken at Torquay, measuring some eight feet "from fin to fin" — as it was described — and about five feet long. I also examined one, of smaller dimensions, that was captured off Cawsand Bay, near Plymouth, on the 17th, and was much struck with the prominent brow, or frontal bone, which became apparent when the flesh began to shrink, after being a day or two out of the water, considerably altering the profile and form of the face. Blue Sharks were also plentiful on our coasts about the same time, and several were captured. Their appearance no doubt was attributable to the abundance of mackerel and other fish in the neighbourhood at the time. — (55, Lower Durnford Street, Stonehouse).

— In the course of the last five days (second week of August) I have procured the following species, mostly from the deep sea, at Prussia Cove, Marazion : — Wrinkled Swimming Crab, P. corrugatus, very small, not half an inch across the carapace: Long-armed Munida, M. Rondeletii; Andrews' Galathea, G. Andrewsii; Long-horned Porcelain Crab, P. longicornis; Long-legged Spider Crab, Stenorhynchus longirostrii; a Common Spider Crab, Maia squinada, half the adult size, but covered all over the back with a growth of some small, thick and long sea-weed or semicoralliue substance, just as Gibbs' Spider Crab usually is. Besides these there were, of course, the crabs common to the place. — (Penzance).