352 Mr. S. Ward on the " Vielk." 



But lately Dr. Nylander has detected in Lecanora [Psoroma) 

 araneosa (Bab.), from New Zealand, both epigenous and 

 hypogenous cephalodia. On the pale testaceous, foliaceo- 

 lobate thallus, incurved at the margin, occur superficial con- 

 colorous cephalodia, which are at first granuliform, then 

 rounded and at the circumference crenulate, subplacodioid, 

 somewhat convex and unequal. On the pale under surface 

 of the thallus, also, are similar cephalodia, but less developed, 

 slightly prominent, and reminding one entirely of those of 

 Peltidea venosa. 



Similar cephalodia, but much less developed, are observable 

 on both surfaces of the thallus of Lecanora allorhiza, Nyl. 

 (collected in New Zealand by Dr. C. Knight), which is similar 

 to but smaller than L. araneosa, and has a pale naked thallus, 

 concolorous on the under surface, shortly rhizinoso-villose, 

 with spores ellipsoid and often somewhat scabrous. This 

 lichen grows on bark, and perhaps is only a diminished variety 

 of L. araneosa, though differing in various respects. 



XLIV. — Notes on the " Vielle" (Batrachus gigas, Gthr.*). 

 By Swinburne Ward, Esq. 



This enormous fish has been frequently seen in these waters, 

 but very seldom captured, as it will scarcely ever take a bait. 

 According to the best authorities, it selects some deep hole 

 with a muddy bottom, and never leaves it. One very large 

 one has been occasionally seen, on very clear days, in a hole 

 inside the harbour, at but a short distance from the shore. I 

 heard of its habitat six years ago ; and it was seen within the 

 last six weeks by the captain of an American whaler ; but it 

 has as yet baffled all my attempts to capture it, refusing per- 

 sistently the most temptingly arranged hooks. I only once 

 succeeded in hooking one and bringing it nearly to the sur- 

 face, when the line broke, and the big fish and my hopes 

 vanished simultaneously. 



The specimen whose head I sent home was found dead, 

 thrown up on the reef on the north-west side of the harbour, 

 its tail and a portion of the lower part of its body having been 

 bitten off by a shark — a hammer-headed one, in all probabi- 

 lity, as I do not think, from my experience of the shark tribe, 

 that any other variety would attack an animal so formidable- 

 looking so far as size is concerned. The tiger-shark is un- 

 usually ferocious when hooked or harpooned ; but the hammer- 

 head kills for the pleasure of killing alone. 



* See Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4. vol. iii. p. 131. 



