Habits and Economy of the Fox. 507 



have hitherto escaped capture. This might not appear very 

 extraordinary, but from the circumstance that the size 

 attained by the fry in the months of July and August, as well 

 as the general similarity in the form and appearance of the 

 Hemiramphus to our well-known garfish and saury-pike, 

 would lead to the belief that the Hemiramphus visited our 

 shores about the same time of the year as these fishes. The 

 garfish appears on the coast in April, and spawns in May. 

 The saury-pike makes its first appearance in June. For 

 these fish, but particularly for the first of them, nets are 

 worked on various parts of the coast, and considerable quan- 

 tities are taken; but no adult specimens of the Hemiramphus, 

 unless we are to suppose they have remained hitherto unre- 

 cognised by the fishermen. It is also not a little singular, that, 

 up to the present time, with the exception of the small speci- 

 mens already referred to, as taken at two places very distant 

 from each other, no example of any species of Hemiramphus 

 has been found, either in the Mediterranean, the Channel, or 

 the North Seas. I have lately had an opportunity of conversing 

 with two eminent foreign naturalists, to whom I showed the 

 specimens, who agreed with me that no adult species of He- 

 miramphus had been recorded as found in the European 

 seas. The examples taken by Dr. Clarke are too young, and 

 too minute, to make any attempt to define specific characters 

 desirable, beyond such as the remarks of Mr. Couch, and the 

 representation here given {Jig. 63.), will supply ; and I would 



63 



Hemiramphus europ<E y us Yarrell. 



only propose, for distinction's sake, that it should be called 



Hemiramphus europa-us. — I am, dear Sir, yours very truly, 



September 8. 1837. W. Yarrell. 



Art. II. Remarks on the Habits and Economy of the common Fox. 

 By W. Weissenborn, D. Ph.* 



In reading Mr. Blyth's highly interesting article " On the 

 psychological Distinctions between Man and all other Animals" 



* Dr. Weissenborn accompanied this paper with a request that we 

 would " mend his un-English expressions ; " we thought it, however, quite 

 unnecessary to attempt any improvement upon the clear and simple 

 manner in which he has expressed his ideas. 



pp 2 



