A. E. Yerrill — The Bermuda Islands. 895 



Scorpions, p. 830. Add the following : 

 Centrums gracilis Gervais. Figure 241. 



The specimen referred to has since heen forwarded to me by Mr. 

 L. Mowbray. Mr. N. Banks has identified it as this species. 



Length, I00 mm ; breadth of thorax, 14 mm ; length of palpi, 35 mm ; 

 of claws, 15 mm . 



Color, above, very dark chestnut-brown, with pale interstices 

 between the larger segments, and pale grayish patches on their sides; 

 under side lighter brown, becoming yellowish on the under side of 

 the thorax. Pedipalps dark brown, the claw reddish brown ; legs 

 brownish yellow ; tail dark brown, above and below, angular, con- 

 cave above, with two finely denticulate carinse on each side. 



Cephalothorax sculptured with denticulate raised lines ; larger 

 abdominal segments with a median dentate carina and a smaller one 

 each side of it, also with transverse dentate or granular raised lines, 

 strongest one on the posterior edge. 



Common in the West Indies; also found in So. Florida (t. Banks). 



Governor Win. Reid ; his unpublished correspondence with Mr. 



Wm. C. Redfield. 



On p. 857, mention is made of 3 volumes of these unpublished letters. They 

 are mainly devoted to discussions of storms and the laws that govern them, sub- 

 jects in which both writers were eminent authors and experts. But many other 

 subjects are also referred to, and especially the Governor's efforts to improve the 

 agriculture and schools of the islands. During his entire term of six years, 

 1839-46, Mr. Redfield volunteered to act as his financial agent in New York, 

 and not only helped him in the sale of his book on the Law of Storms (two 

 editions), but bought and forwarded books, periodicals, plows, rakes, yokes, 

 and all sorts of agricultural implements, etc., including a horse and saddle. 

 Also a large variety of seeds of garden vegetables and other plants, annually. 

 The Governor refers to his getting acts passed to establish a Public Library ; a 

 Museum of Natural History ; the Lighthouse ; Agricultural Fair, etc. 



In a letter of June 28/1840, replying to a question by Mr. Redfield, he says : 

 "The wound you enquire about, I received in the neck, at the first assault of 

 San Sebastian by the Duke of Wellington, I happen to have been twice shot 

 severely in the neck, having been four times wounded, and had three horses 

 shot under me, — so that I often wonder at being here and still alive in this 

 world." 



Referring to an abusive personal criticism in some American newspaper, he 

 says, that he received no government aid whatever in publishing his work on 

 the Law of Storms, but paid out at least £600 sterling to publish it. Also: " My 

 being appointed Governor of Bermuda was not to enable me to study storms of 

 wincl, but because I had seen a good deal of storms of war, and I never saw the 

 minister who named me until I went to receive my instructions." He also 

 states that he disliked politics and parties, and never interfered with them, and 

 adds : "I never gave a vote in my life at an election and never tried to influ- 

 ence any man in giving his." 



" I believe the appointment did more credit to the Colonial Minister than to 

 me, for I heard that on reading the 'Law of Storms,' he was so much struck 

 with the grandeur of the subject that he made enquiry of the writer ; and find- 

 ing him only a hardworking soldier, sent and asked him to go to Bermuda as 

 Governor." 



