470 Miscellaneous. 



down to 355 fathoms, the greatest depth ever found in Skagerrack 

 being a little more than 400 fathoms. Although I had not' very- 

 long time for the explorations, I was very successful indeed. The 

 most interesting haul during the cruise may be one in lat. 58° 35' N., 

 long. 10° 15' E., depth 150 fathoms, bottom clay. Among other 

 things, I got there two specimens of the rare Sjnaptoid Olizotrochus 

 vitreus. 



I suppose you know that the Swedish naturalists are never allowed 

 to keep any specimens obtained in the expeditions fitted out by the 

 government ; aU belong to the lloyal Museum of the Vetenskaps 

 Akademien; and thus I have no right whatever to make a bargain 

 with the animals that I collected in Greenland. 



I am very much obliged to you for your kindness in sending me the 

 catalogue. 



Report on a Memoir hy Dr. Diifosse, " On the Ifotses and Expressive 

 Sounds which the Freshwater and Marine Fishes of Europe pro- 

 duce.'" By M. C. KoBijr. 



The memoir submitted to our examination is a considerable work, 

 a true monograph ; it has cost its author numerous investigations. 

 This subject has been, on his part, the object of very diverse obser- 

 vations, the summary of which has on several occasions been inserted 

 in the ' Comptes Rendus.' 



The first part of Dr. Dufosse's work consists of a very extended 

 history, summing up aU that naturalists and physiologists have said 

 with regard to the noises produced by certain fishes. This history 

 commences with Aristotle, whose remarks upon this question deserve 

 to be recalled. 



" Pishes," he says, " having neither lung, nor trachea, nor pharynx, 

 have no voice. Those which have been said to have one, produce 

 nothing but certain sounds and whistlings. Such is the kind of 

 grunting of the Lyre, the Chromis, and the fish called the 6oflr-fish, 

 which is found in the Acheloiis. We may also cite the Chalcis and 

 the cucJcoo-&sh. : the former makes a sort of whistling ; the second 

 emits a sound approaching that of the bird whose name it has re- 

 ceived in consequence of this resemblance. All these fishes produce 

 what has been called their voice either by the rubbing of their 

 branchiae, which they have garnished with points, or by means of 

 certain internal parts near the intestine, and which contain air. It 

 is this air the agitation and friction of which produce a sound. 

 Some Selachii also seem to whistle. All this, however, can only 

 improperly be called voice ; we must say that it is a sound." 

 (Hist. Anim. Lib. iv., Camus's translation, Paris, 1783, torn. i. 

 p. 221.) 



The sounds emitted by fishes may be very varied irregular noises, 

 such as those which the Cyprini, the loaches, the Dactylopteri, the 

 Hippocampi and others produce with their lips or their opercula, 

 or by moving certain articulations. 



There are other, regular noises: various Scomberoidei produce 



