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 specimen (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 José 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 with a 
large packet of threads, which he had received from Manuel Pedro, 
proprietor of a boat, the padrone of which is named José 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. 
