The Zoologist— July, 1873, 3617 



Beaamaris Shark and Boar-fish at Hastings. — A specimen of the Beau- 

 maris shark {Lamna monensis) was taken in the mackerel-nets by our 

 fishei'men this morning : it measured from the tip of the nose to the end 

 of the tail four feet one inch, and round the thickest part of the body two 

 feet. A nice specimen of the boar-fish {Capros aper) was brought to me a 

 few days since : it measured five inches from the tip of the nose to the tip 

 of the tail. I have preserved it in saturated salt and water for the present. 

 — J. S. Bowerhank ; 2, East Ascent, St. heonards-on-Sea, June 18, 1873. 



Voracity of Pike. — On account of the very high water during the past 

 winter, and consequent overflowing of the river, there have been an unusual 

 number of pike in the ditches and small water-courses near the meadows. 

 Two instances of the voracity and cannibalism of this ponderous-jawed 

 monster have come under my observation, which perhaps are worth 

 recording. One morning at the end of February I was walking leisurely 

 by a broad ditch where the weeds are very dense, waiting for a friend who 

 was stalking a flock of fieldfares. At one place the water was clearer and 

 comparatively free of weeds, and there I saw a fish, but I could make out 

 no head to the creature. I judged it to be a pike from its striped and 

 mottled back, but of what form the fish could be I was at a loss to con- 

 jecture, as it was stationed some twelve or fourteen feet from where I was 

 standing, and the water seemed partly opaque. Having secured the services 

 of my old friend the fisherman, he was not long in landing the cannibal and 

 bis victim, as it proved to be a pike which had partly swallowed one of his 

 brethren, the head of the smaller fish going down the larger one's throat. 

 When thrown out upon the grass the largest immediately disgorged the 

 smaller, which was as lively as its captor. Neither of the fish were of 

 large size, measuring respectively twenty-two and sixteen inches in length. 

 The other instance is of two larger fish than the above. Walking by the 

 river I observed a considerable splashing and commotion at some distance 

 off, and the fins and tail of a fish frequently appeared above the surface of 

 the water, but as there had been a number of salmon near the same spot a 

 short time before, I supposed it must be some of them, so I gave them no 

 very decided attention. On my return, several hours afterwards, I was sur- 

 prised to see the same disturbance, but a man in a boat had now joined the 

 affray, and was endeavouring to settle the matter to his own personal benefit 

 by capturing the fish : it turned out to be two pike. The cannibal in this 

 case had not been so fortunate as the one before described, having caught 

 his victim in the middle of its back, consequently it was across his mouth 

 rather than entering it. Thus one was locked in the other's jaws so firmly 

 that neither had power to free itself from the uncomfortable situation. Both 

 were living and very active when I saw them hauled into the boat, and 

 neither fish, I should say, weighed less than twelve or thirteen pounds. — 

 G, B. Corbin. 



