One of our most remarkable specimens was a Red-bellied Snake 

 (Farancia abacura) received in April, 1912. This is a large bur- 

 rowing species living as deep as ten feet below the surface of the 

 ground. Ditmars states that he has never induced mature spec- 

 imens to feed in captivity and that they die after six or eight 

 months. Our specimen lived without food for eighteen months 

 and finally died in October, 1913. Another specimen of this 

 species is now in the collection and an effort will be made to pro- 

 long its life by forced feeding. — P. M. Rea. 



Angler Fish. — Mr. Ellison Williams brought to the Museum 

 an interesting fish which was sucked up by the dredge Sumter 

 in the channel near the entrance to the harbor. The species 

 has not been satisfactorily determined but probably belongs to 

 the genus Lophius. The specimen is about three and a half 

 feet long, very broad and flat, and of a dark brown color. The 

 mouth is of enormous size and the gill openings take the form of 

 slits under the pectoral fins. The eyes are poorly developed, 

 for all the Angler Fishes catch their prey by the aid of long slen- 

 der spines reaching forward from the top of the head and over- 

 hanging the cavernous mouth. Smaller fishes are attracted by 

 these spines, which in some species are provided with a terminal 

 knob that serves as a bait. The success of this fishing apparatus 

 is attested by the presence of more than a dozen Whiting and other 

 fishes in the throat of our specimen. 



It is said that another Angler Fish was sucked up by the dredge 

 at the same time, but that none of the fishermen on the water- 

 front had ever seen anything like them. — P. M. Rea. 



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