399 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



On Pelamys Sarda, a British Fish. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 

 Mr. W. Beattie, Secretary of the Montrose Natural History and 

 Antiquarian Society, has sent me the following description and a 

 photograph of a specimen of Pelamys Sarda, which was captured in 

 a bag (salmon-) net at the mouth of the North Esk, in June last 

 (1859). There is no doubt of its being Pelamys Sarda, from the 

 figure. Mr. Beattie observes that "the Pelamys Sarda figured by 

 Yarrell as a vignette to his article owBonito resembles the Esk Scomber 

 very closely, except in the oblicpje bars, which in his figure are broad 

 and transverse." I may observe that the specimen taken at the Esk is 

 only 4 inches shorter than that described by M. Valenciennes as taken 

 on the coast of Canary by Webb and Berthelot, and is larger than 

 the ordinary size of the Mediterranean specimens, according to the 

 observation of Sir John Richardson. 



Pelamys Sarda. 



Description of Specimen. — " Length from the point of the nose to 

 the centre of the tail, which is crescent-shaped, 21 inches; extreme, 

 221 m- Girth, at thickest, 12 inches. Weight 4 lb. 6 oz. From 

 the centre of the eye to the point of the nose 2\ inches. From the 

 centre of the eye to the origin of the branchial fin, 3| inches. Ex- 

 pause of tail 4f inches. Space between pectoral and anal fins 8 in. 

 From first dorsal fin to point of nose 5| inches. Body round, taper- 

 ing from the vent to the tail. 



K A triangular space behind and above the gill-opening, and includ- 

 ing the origin of the branchial fin, covered with projecting scales 

 larger than those on other parts of the body. From the upper and 

 anterior angle of this space, several rows of prominent scales extend 

 backward along each side of the front dorsal, and converge toward 

 the second dorsal fin. Lateral line waved till opposite the termina- 

 tion of the anal fin, when it runs in a straight line to the tail. 



D. ff VIII. or IX. 



" Origin of dorsal fin behind origin of pectoral. Ten dark bars run 

 obliquely forward from the back at an angle of 30°. 



" Upper jaw and teeth project over the lower jaw, Teeth conical, 

 curved inwards, those in the lower jaw larger. Front teeth in upper 

 jaw short. Two teeth in front of each lower jaw bent backwards; 

 these, with the larger ones on the side, measure j? inch in length. 

 On the sides of the lower jaw the long teeth alternate with smaller 

 ones.— Wm. B." 



Occurrence of the Rufous Sedge Warbler in South Devon. 



A second specimen of the Rufous Sedge Warbler (Aedon yalac- 

 totes) has been killed near Start Point, South Devonshire, on the 

 25th of September last. It was shot by William D. Llewellyn, Esq., 

 by whom it was presented to the British Museum. That gentleman 

 observed that its flight much resembled that of a Lark, and that 

 it was exceedingly thin. Its visit was probably occasioned by the 

 strong southerly wind which had prevailed for several days. The 



