Miscellaneous. ^7 



the different fins (pectoral, dorsal and anal) correspond to the num- 

 bers given in Yarrell's well-known ' History of British Fishes,' ex- 

 cept that those of the thick caudal fin were so indistinct that I could 

 not detect them by external examination. The fish was of a dingy 

 bluish or dark leaden colour on the upper parts, mottled with a 

 lighter colour on the sides, and of a light gray approaching to a silvery 

 white on the abdomen, the "hinge-like" portion of the fins, espe- 

 cially of the caudal, ha\-ing a reddish or dark flesh-coloured tmge ; 

 round the eye the colour was paler, and the eye itself was of a dark 

 bluish-gray colour, with a bright "silvery ring round the pupil." 

 The flesh felt soft and flabby, the fish being apparently in bad con- 

 dition, and weighmg only 1 1 lbs. avoird. The skin was sUghtly 

 wrinkled, and was rough all over like a shark's, 



I remain. Gentlemen, yours very respectftdly, 



John Alex. Smith, M.D. 



P.S. I may mention that the skin of a specimen of this fish, much 

 about the same size as the one I have described, was exhibited to the 

 Royal Physical Society here last winter, having been captured by one 

 of the members while dredging in Loch Ryan. 



CARCHARIAS VULPES. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Cork, September 20, 1851. 

 Gentlemen, — An example of the Fox Shark (Carcharias Vulpes) 

 occurred m Ringabella Bay, close to the mouth of Cork Harbovir, on 

 the 31st of last month. It got entangled in a net and was secured 

 by the fishermen. It was considerably smaller than the uidi\idual 

 lately recorded in your Magazine by Mr. Thomson ; the whole length 

 of the animal being 7 feet 4 inches, and that of the upper segment of 

 tail 3 feet 9 inches nearly. Owing to the ignorance of the person to 

 whom the skinning was entrusted, the specimen has unfortunately 

 not been saved. The fish was a male. 



Yours respectfvdly, 



J. (R.) Harvey, M.D. 



On the Arrangement of Fossil Animal Remains in Collections. 

 By J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. &c. 



There appears to be considerably diiference of opinion among geo- 

 logists and fossil collectors respecting the manner in which fossil 

 specimens of animals should be arranged. I have therefore been in- 

 duced to put together the following notes : — 



1. Some agree with Cuvier, Lamarck, Fleming, and other zoolo- 

 gists, that they should be arranged with and in the same series as 

 similar specimens of the recent animals. 



2. Others, that they should be first di\'ided according to the strata 

 in which they are found, and the specimens of each stratum arranged 

 in a zoological method. 



3. Others, that they shoidd be simply arranged zoologically in a 

 collection by themselves. 



I have long been of opinion that no collection of zoologj- can be con- 



