110 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. rANNOl764, 



negative states of electricity, and some otFier controversial matters ; but is not 

 of importance to be reprinted. 



XIF. Of a Fish from Batavia, called Jaculator* By John Albert Schlosser 



M. D., F. R. S. p. 89. 



Gk)vernor Hommel gives the following account of the jaculator or shooting 

 fish, a name alluding to its nature. It frequents the siiores and sides of the sea 

 and rivers in search of food. When it spies a fly sitting on the plants that grow 

 in shallow water, it swims on to the distance of 4, 3, or 6 feet, and then, with 

 a surprizing dexterity, it ejects out of its tubular-mouth a single drop of water, 

 which never fails striking the fly into the sea, where it soon becomes its prey. 

 The account of this uncommon action of this cunning fish raised the governor's 

 curiosity ; though it came well attested, yet he was determined, if possible, to 

 be convinced of the truth, by ocular demonstration. For that purpose, he 

 ordered a large wide tun to be filled with sea water ; then had some of these fish 

 caught, and put into it, which was changed every other day. In a while they 

 seemed reconciled to their confinement ; then he determined to try the 

 experiment. A slender stick, with a fly pinned on at its end, was placed in 

 such a direction, on the side of the vessel, as the fish could strike it. It was 

 with inexpressible delight, that he daily saw these fish exercising their skill in 

 shooting at the fly, with an amazing velocity, and they never missed the mark. 



XF. Of the Polish Cochineal. By Dr. Wolfe, of Warsaw, p. Ql. 



The several kinds of potentillas-^' are here very rare, and it was only on the 

 -polygonum minus, or scleranthus perennis Linnaei, that Dr. W. found the 

 cochinille. He gathered about 300 of the coccusses, and put them with the 

 plants and some sand in large pots. They are of different sizes. The insects 

 creep out of their coccusses from the beginning of June till the middle of 

 August : about 50 got out under his eyes. They are all exactly of the same 

 shape : but some are 3 times smaller than others, according to their coccusses. 

 The coccus is a thin round white skin. The insects are all hairy more or less ; 

 some are of a darker colour, some more crimson ; some seem somewhat longer, 

 others broader. But these differences seem to depend on their voluntary exten- 



* This fish is the Chcetodon rostratm of LinnjEus. C. cauda Integra, spinis pinnae dorsalis novem, 

 maculaque ocellari, rostro cylindrico. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 46''2. 



•)• The Coccus Polonicvs of Linnaeus, or Polish Cochineal, is usually about the size of a coriander 

 seed, and of a purplish brown colour on the outside, and blood-red within. Since ihe introduction 

 of the American cochineal, or coccus cacti, it has been considered as of but small consequence, 

 even the Kermes or Coccus llicis having been long superseded by the American species. 



