126 Prof. J. V. Barboza du Bocage on Hyalonema lusitanicum. 



seen, long before that period and at long intervals, some speci- 

 mens brought from the sea by an old padrone lately dead, called 

 Christovao da Penha. 



It is not difficult to explain why the Hyalonemas, having been 

 extremely rare and almost unknown at Setubal until 1863, have 

 become more abundant since that period. We must in the first 

 place take into account the ignorance of the fishermen, who are 

 in the habit of throwing overboard everything that they think 

 useless; but there is another important circumstance that has 

 strongly struck me. Formerly the sharks were more abun- 

 dant in our seas, and to find them the fishermen of Setubal 

 did not need to depart very far from the shore ; but for some 

 years they have had to be sought at greater distances and at 

 greater depths ; and it is precisely in these deeper seas and at 

 this greater distance from the coast that the Hyalonemas are 

 found. I must also add that, from information in which I have 

 perfect confidence, the above-mentioned fisherman (Christovao 

 da Penha) was, previous to 1863, perhaps the only one who was 

 in the habit of fishing in the seas at a distance from the shore 

 now frequented by all the fishermen ; and this explains quite 

 naturally why this same fisherman was the only one to meet 

 with Hyalonemas in his tackle. 



Since 1863 I have received from Setubal seven complete spe- 

 cimens of Hyalonema and a large packet of threads belonging to 

 three or four individuals, which makes a total of ten or eleven 

 individuals. Perhaps you would like to know the dates of these 

 acquisitions, the names of the persons from whom I received 

 them, and the names of the proprietors and padrones of boats 

 who captured them. 



The first speciuien (that which was described and figured by 

 me) was sent to me by M. Garnitto, superior officer of customs 

 at Setubal; it was fished in June 1863 by the padrone Domingo 

 Correia. 



In May 1864 I received from M. Garnitto another individual, 

 which was given to him by Jose Vagueiro, proprietor of a boat, 

 the padrone of which is named Manuel de Souza. 



In September of the same year, M. Brito, a landed proprietor 

 at Setubal, presented me with a magnificent specimen and w4th a 

 large packet of threads, which he had received from Manuel Pedro, 

 proprietor of a boat, the padrone of which is named Jose Correia. 



Lastly, in September 1866, M, Cunha Freire, officer of cus- 

 toms at Setubal and collector of the fishery dues, presented me 

 with four specimens taken together by the padrone Domingo 

 Correia, the same who brought to M. Garnitto the first specimen 

 of which he made me a present, in 1863. It is one of these 

 four specimens that is now in the British Museum. 



