390 MR. PEACHES DISCOVERIES. CHAP. xxir. 



Roderick Murchison, on the authority of Professor 

 Huxley, stated it to be part of a Pterygotus or lobster- 

 like crustacean. Mr. Peach also discovered some speci- 

 mens of the Tristichopterus alatus at John o' Groat's, 

 which threw much light on the previously unknown 

 points of its structure as well as on its affinities. 



It would, indeed, be difficult to tell how much Mr. 

 Peach found during his residence in Caithness. Among 

 his other findings, he discovered a sea-snake. It was 

 cast ashore in Sinclair's Bay, a few miles north of Wick. 

 The length of the snake was fifteen feet six inches ; its 

 width about three and a half inches. Its head displayed 

 a sort of mane or pendulous tuft. Its skin was of a 

 beautiful silvery colour, with fine dark bands passing 

 from the head to the tail. It was found to be a large 

 specimen of the Gymnetrus, better known by the name 

 of riband-lath or deal-fish. A similar sea-snake has 

 since been found by Mr. Trail at Dunnet Bay, near 

 Thurso. 



In 1863 Mr. Peach obtained from the rocks in the 

 neighbourhood of John o' Groat's a fragment of a small 

 Pterichthys. As this genus had not before been found 

 in Caithness, he resolved, although the locality was 

 more than eighteen miles from his residence at Wick, 

 to follow up the discovery ; and he succeeded in finding, 

 at different times, four or five pretty good specimens. 

 At the meeting of the British Association at Dundee, in 

 1868, Mr. Peach read a short description of it to the 

 Geological Section, and named it after his valued friend,. 

 Pterichthys Dicki. But we anticipate. 



