146 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
some persons to be bifurcate in their perfect condition. This is a point 
that wants clearing up. The tail is also somewhat peculiar, being obliquely 
truncate, and without any distinct terminal fivn. The specimen which 
came under the notice of Mr. Hancock, and was described by him and 
Dr. Embleton, was also examined by Yarrell and Couch whilst it was being 
exhibited in London, and the latter author prepared from it his figure of 
the species, which was afterwards published in the second volume of his 
work on ‘British Fishes.’ The illustration of the Oar-fish in the third 
edition of Yarrell’s work was also made from this specimen. Nothing 
appears to be known of the habits of this curious fish; but, from the rarity 
of its capture, it is probably a deep-water species. It has not been hitherto 
found except on the British coast, four specimens having been obtained in 
Coruwall, and the others on the eastern side of England and Scotland. 
Couch mentions that three or four specimeus had been captured since the 
one he examined in 1849, and the largest of them, taken near Wick, 
measured fifteen feet and a half in length. Five other species of the 
genus are included in Dr. Ginther’s Catalogue as found in the seas of 
Europe, the Atlantic, Indian and New Zealand seas. There is a good deal, 
however, yet to be learned about them all, and there is only an imperfect 
specimen of one species in the British Museum.” The first example on 
record in England is said to have been obtained at Whitby in January, 1759. 
It is curious that the latest which has occurred, viz., that now under notice, 
should have been procured in the same locality.—J. E. Harrine- 
Tue Hovrine on tue Sussex Coast.— During the present month 
of March an example of this fish, Coregonus owyrhynchus, was sent by 
Mr. Byerley, of Chichester, to Mr. Buckland, who kindly handed it over 
to me. As it was perfectly fresh, it may be accepted without doubt as 
a local capture from off the Sussex coast. ‘The first British specimen of 
this fish was recorded by me in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society’ for May 15th, 1877; two examples were received from Lincoln- 
shire as “Grayling.” I suspect this is the fish recorded by Rutty, 
in his ‘Natural History of the County of Dublin’ (1772), wherein he 
observes :—“ Thymallus. ‘The Grayling or Umber. With us it is a sea- 
fish, and less than Willughby’s, which is a river fish.” The Houting is 
found along the coasts of Holland, Germany, and Denmark, entering rivers; 
therefore stragglers to Great Britain probably are not rare. The true 
Grayling is not an Irish fish, consequently Rutty must have been in error 
as to his species, while a Coregonus such as the Houting may have been 
mistaken for a Thymallus. —Franois Day (Kenilworth House, Pittville, 
Cheltenham). 
Troor ix tue Tuames.—On the 12th February last two Trout were 
taken in the Thames between Ilunger‘ord aud Waterloo Bridges, the - 
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