482 Scientific and General Memoranda. 



ture. Central to this border is a mountain mass 2,000 feet high, 

 composed of pumice and streams of lava ; aqueous vapour issues 

 from its sides, and hot springs ai'e found at its foot, which collect 

 into a lake of warm salt water, 6,000 feet in circumference. 

 Sciacca, on the Sicilian coast, lies about 70 miles N.E. from Pan- 

 tellaria, and through one of the intermediate shoals, the new 

 volcanic island of Hotham, arose in July last.* 



Origin of the JVame of the Fish John Dory. — This fish, {Zeus 

 Faber, Lin.) notwithstanding its deformity, appears to have been 

 always a conspicuous member of the finny tribe. It has an in- 

 dent upon each side, as a proof that it was the identical fish St. 

 Peter took hold of with his finger and thumb, in order to take 

 the tribute money out of its mouth. Others have afliirmed, that 

 these indents were made by St. Christopher, who, wading through 

 an arm of the sea one day, amused himself with catching them. 

 Hence, its name has been derived from adoree. With all reve- 

 rence for so saintly an origin, we mention that its resplendent 

 golden colour, as we have often witnessed in the Mediterranean, 

 has induced some to suppose the name derived from Doree, gilded. 

 Both these origins, however, leave us to seek for its Christian 

 name John, or Johnny, as it is usually pronounced in the south of 

 England, where it appears in May and June. The fishermen in 

 the Adriatic, who beheve in the legend of St. Peter's taking the 

 tribute money out of its mouth, call it by the Saint's oflicial 

 name, II Ja?ntore, or gate keeper, which comes as near to Johnny 

 Dory as an Englishman could pronounce it. Q,uin, the actor, 

 brought it into vogue ; and Sir Joseph Banks said it was the most 

 valuable of fish, because it required no sauce : this may be the 

 hidden meaning of St. Peter's taking the tribute money out of its 

 mouth. He was a fisherman ! 



• Vide page 314. 



TO CORRESPONDEXTS. 

 The correspondent who forwarded to us a review of Dr. M'Murtrie's translation of the 

 Regne Animal, is informed, that, having found h'isure to examine the work with more 

 critical attention, we find his remarks substantially correct, and shall publish them in our 

 next number. 



Gold Region. — We beg to inform various correspondents, who rather press us on the 

 subject, that if our account of it is not commenced in our next number, it will be for 

 reasons they will approve of The subject is too interesting to the country to be treated 

 of in the usual common place manner. 



