298 Miscellaneous. 



the skin very tough ; no ova or milt discoverable ; the stomach con- 

 tained small crabs, Pecten opercularis, Fusus corneus, &c., all frac- 

 tured by the conical and flat sets of teeth prior to being swallowed ; 

 the containing viscus itself large and membranous ; the intestines 

 short, but of large calibre. The fishermen who took it called it a 

 " Cat-fish," evidently showing a previous acquaintance with it. This 

 is however the first record of its capture on this coast, and Mr. 

 Couch does not enumerate it as a Cornish species. 



Can one of your correspondents tell me whether the male of 

 Lamna Cornubica has a large stiff spine in the ventral fins, thereby 

 distinguishing it from the other sex ? 



I am. Gentlemen, your obedient servant, 



J. C. Bellamy, Curator. 



Description of a " Blind Fish" from a Cave in Kentucky. By Jeffries 

 Wyman, M.D. 



The specimen from which the following description is drawn was 

 presented to the Boston Society of Natural History by J. G. Anthony, 

 Esq. of Cincinnati. It corresponds for the most part with the de- 

 scription of the Amhlyopsis spelceus, described by Dr. Dekay in the 

 ' Fauna of New York,' but in some particulars it differs. 



The specimen here described was 4 J^ inches long, and character- 

 ized by a broad vertically compressed head, covered with a whitish 

 integument entirely destitute of scales ; but on it are seen numerous 

 elevations or ridges, most abundant on the lateral portions, some of 

 them intersecting each other at right angles. The lower jaw is more 

 prominent than the upper ; no appearance of eyes ; nostrils double, 

 the anterior ones tubular, the posterior nearly circular, about y^ th of 

 an inch behind the preceding. Both jaws are provided with folds of 

 skin or lips ; intermaxillaries and lower jaw armed with minute slender 

 and slightly recur\'ed teeth, most abundant at a short distance from 

 the median line — a group of teeth on palatines on each side ; also 

 two groups in pharynx above and four below. Upper maxillaries 

 concealed by integuments and destitute of teeth. Intermaxillaries 

 form the borders of mouth above, and extend nearly to its angles. 

 Branchial aperture large, branchiostegous rays six on each side. 



Body covered with circular scales which terminate abruptly at the 

 posterior limit of the head ; the scales are smaller on back than on 

 the sides, and are so enveloped in the cuticle as not to present free 

 edges. Lateral line occupies the middle of the lateral region ; com- 

 mencing under the anterior extremity of the dorsal fin, passes di- 

 rectly backwards. First ray of dorsal a little posterior to the mid- 

 dle of body ; anal commences a little behind the dorsal ; abdominals 

 veiy small. 



Fin rays : — Pectoral, 10 ; dorsal, 10, first very minute ; caudal, 17 

 or 18 ; anal, 9 ; abdominal, 4. 



Anus very far forwards, about j^ths of an inch behind the angle 

 formed by the union of branchial meml)ranes. 



Alimentary canal; entire length less than that of the body. CEso- 

 phagus very short ; stomach cylindrical, terminating posteriorly in a 



