498 Miscellaneous. 



for ships entering the Bay, but now given up. Near the deserted 

 Pilot Station at Amity Point, some of the natives may constantly be 

 found during the warmer months of the year fishing for "Mullet," a 

 very fine fish about the size of a mackerel. In this pursuit they 

 are assisted in a most wonderful manner by the Porpoises. It seems 

 that from time immemorial a sort of understanding has existed be- 

 tween the blacks and the Porpoises for their mutual advantage, and 

 the former pretend to know all the Porpoises about the spot, and 

 even have names for them. 



The beach here consists of shelving sand, and near the shore are 

 small hillocks of sand, on which the blacks sit, watching for the ap- 

 pearance of a shoal of Mullet. Their nets, which are used by hand, 

 and are stretched on a frame about 4 feet wide, lie ready on the 

 beach. On seeing a shoal, several of the men run down, and with 

 their spears make a peculiar splashing in the water. Whether the 

 Porpoises really understand this as a signal, or think it is the fish, 

 it is difficult to determine, but the result is always the same ; they 

 at once come in towards the shore, driving the Mullet before them. 

 As they near the edge, a number of the blacks with spears and hand- 

 nets quickly divide to the right and left, and dash into the water. 

 The Porpoises being outside the shoal, numbers of fish are secured 

 before they can break away. In the scene of apparent confusion 

 that takes place, the blacks and Porpoises are seen splashing about 

 close to each other. So fearless are the latter, that strangers, who 

 have expressed doubts as to their tameness, have often been shown 

 that they will take a fish from the end of a spear, when held to 

 them. 



For my own part I cannot doubt that the understanding is real, 

 and that the natives know these Porpoises, and that strange Por- 

 poises would not show so little fear of the natives. The oldest men 

 of the tribe say that the same kind of fishing has always been carried 

 on as long as they can remember. 



Porpoises abound in the Bay, but in no other part do the natives 

 fish with their assistance. — Proc. Zool. Soc. Nov. 11, 1856. 



EOLIS LANDSBURGII. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History, 



Northumberland Place, Morecarabe, Lancaster. 

 Gentlemen, — It may interest some of the contributors and sub- 

 scribers of the Annals of Natural History to know that a specimen of 

 the Eolis Landshuryii^ of about 1 y^^^ inch in length, was dredged off 

 the coast of Morecambe Bay by myself and a friend. The EolisLands- 

 hurgii is mentioned by Alder and Hancock, in their work published 

 by the Ray Society, as only having been found once, and then by 

 Dr. Landsborough, after whom it is called, at Saltcoats ; but as 

 the work referred to was published in 1849, more specimens may 

 have been since found*. Your obedient Servant, 



I. Jno. Moser. 



.-* Our correspondent will find a note on its occurrence near Exmouth 

 in the Annals for January 1852. — Ed.. 



