ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 247 



and put up one in the early part of the month of August. From 

 the time the birds have been in the island, I think they must have 

 nested. I don't think there is any record of the Quail having been 

 seen or heard in Barra before this year. — John MacRury, Barra. 



The Swordfish (Xiphius gladius, L.) in the Firth of Forth. — 



A specimen of this fish, which is of rather rare occurrence on the 

 British coasts, was caught in the salmon-nets at Bo'ness, Firth of 

 Forth, on the 17th July, and has been acquired for the Kelvingrove 

 Museum, Glasgow. The measurements were : 



Total length, 8 feet 2 inches. Tip of sword to front of lower 

 jaw, 2 feet 5 inches. 



In the stomach were otoliths of young haddock and whiting, a 

 few vertebrae, and several specimens of a Nematoid. — J. M'Naught 

 Campbell, Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow. 



Bonito {Thynnus pelamys) and Fox Shark {Alopecias vulpes) in the 

 Solway Firth. — Mr. M'Kie, honorary curator of the Kirkcudbright 

 Museum, has kindly furnished me with particulars of the capture of 

 this very rare fish in the salmon-nets at the mouth of the Dee. The 

 fish is being mounted for the museum, which contains a collection 

 of fish well mounted and beautifully shown. This is only the third 

 record of the Bonito in local waters, so far as I am aware. One 

 was caught at the Bowes Scaur on 25th July 183 1. Another one 

 was captured on 22nd July 1842, by a haaver, near to Caerlaverock 

 Castle, and was sold in Dumfries. Since then I am not aware of 

 any other instances of the capture of this beautiful species in or 

 near the Solway. Mr. M'Kie also tells me of another interesting 

 addition to his fish collection in a fine specimen of the Thresher, 

 captured last month in Wigtown Bay. This is by no means so rare 

 a species in our waters as the Bonito. — R. Service, Maxwelltown. 



Note on a Parti-eoloured Plaice {Pleuronectes platessa). — The 

 question as to the cause of the presence or absence of particular 

 colours in fishes and other marine creatures is one of great interest. 

 It might be the subject of the most important investigations, and 

 has already occupied the attention of such a skilled and careful 

 observer as Cunningham of Plymouth Laboratory. That all fish 

 are largely influenced by the ground on which they may happen to 

 dwell is well known. Flat-fish more especially seem to take the pre- 

 vailing colour of the sea- bottom they affect, without losing their 

 characteristic appearance otherwise. The White <>r Gray Conger of 

 the deep sea, and the Black Conger of the tangle area, are cases in 

 point. Every Highland loch with a silver strand or sandy bottom 

 at one end and a peaty bottom elsewhere, carries Trout with 

 characters derived evidently from such bottoms. It has come 



consequently to be an accepted opinion that colour in fish is due 

 to the influence of light as reflected from coloured surroundings. 

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