The Zoologist — November, 1866. 601 



sliows no fear, and will permit, I have been told, repeated shots. All individuals seen 

 were in the autninn raoult. The ^'ray feathers of winter prevailed on the upper surface 

 of any hirds I handled, the under surface being pure while, except on the throat, where 

 it is tinged with biift". Young birds predominated. — Harry Blake- Knox ; Dalkey, 

 Co. Dublin, October 8, 1866. 



Red Lobefool [Rednecked Phnturope] at Scilti/.—I have seen a bird, in adult winter 

 plumage, to-day, sent from Trescoe, Scilly, of this species: there is no brown or yellow 

 tint on the under parts, whiih is the case in birds of the year, but an unsullied white 

 throughout. Birds which in summer are red underneath and in winter white show, in 

 young liirds, in the first autumn at least, a buff tint of an intermediate character: 

 this is in accordance with a very general law in the distribution of the colours of 

 birds. Snow buntings have made their appearance. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Pen- 

 zaiice, October 6, 1 866. 



Sabine's Gull in Mount's Bay. — A specimen of this little gull, which does not often 

 turn up, occurred in our Bay a day or two since, and I hear that some others are about ; 

 it was exceedingly tame, and was knocked down with an oar. It is in the same slate 

 of plumage as the others which have been captured here, all of which have been in the 

 auiumn and in the immature plumage of young birds. The tail is deeply forked, with 

 a broad black tip : iudepeudent of this feature, the comparative slenderness of the bill 

 is a distinguishing character, when cumpared with Larusmiuuius. — Id.; September 28, 

 1866. .__ 



Aiisoitia Cucieri captured off Falmouth. By Thomas Cornish, Esq. 



On Sunday, the 30th of September last, a fisherman at Falmouth 

 saw a large fish flounderiiig about m a pool left by the receding tide. 

 He plunged in after it, and when in about three feet water he got hold 

 of its tail, on which the beast made a spring and towed him under. 

 However, he held on, and was towed about the pool, sometimes on his 

 legs and sometimes under water, until he tired out his prize and 

 beached it. It was a fish four feet long over all, 120 fts. weight, bright 

 crimson fins, steel-gray over the back, having a broad scarlet band 

 along each side, and silvery belly. The sides appeared as if sprinkled 

 with gold dust. I have not only seen the fish, but have secured it for 

 our Museum here. 



I have very little doubt indeed but that it is the Ausonia Cuvieri, a 

 Mediterranean and tropical resident, of which only one specimen has 

 ever before been taken in Great Britain, and that was one taken off the 

 Dodman, in May last, and reported on by Mr. Jonathan Couch, of 

 Polperro, in the 'Journal of the Zoological Society.' 



I have examined it carefully, in the flesh, and as well (which I find 

 lo be most important) after its skin had been taken off, and also 

 iiTimediately after the setting of the skin in the process of stuffing. 



