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THE ZOOLOGIST—FEBRUARY, 1875. 4345 
do in such rotation ; but as I suppose many extinct fishes have this form of 
tail without any similar dental apparatus, this can hardly be a special 
adaptation. I have kept my eyes open for anything bearing on this idea, 
and, shortly after forming it, met with the following in Couch’s ‘ British 
Fishes’ (vol. i. p. 28) :—‘ It is the habit of such of the family of sharks as 
swim high in the water, when they seize their prey, to do it with the action 
of turning the head and fore parts of the body, which method of proceeding 
has been supposed to arise from a difficulty that is felt in seizing an object 
with the mouth in a prone position; but which appears to be adopted only 
that they may obtain a greater advantage in a rolling motion to cut the 
object in two parts, or more effectually, with a vibrating action of the head, 
to separate such a portion as they are prepared to swallow. On a large 
substance, with their formidable array of teeth, the grasp cannot fail to be 
successful; but with so slender a bulk as a fisherman’s line, it is sometimes 
otherwise; and when this has escaped the grinding action of the bite, the 
turning of the body is continued until the whole of the line is twisted round 
itself, and the fish is thus brought to the surface, even from a depth of 
forty fathoms.” Thus far Couch. I have seen two or three notices of shark 
fishing in the ‘ Field,’ mentioning the rolling of the fish when caught upon 
the line, quite corroborative of Couch’s observation; but further evidence is 
desirable.—F’. H. Balkwill ; 8, Lockyer-street, Plymouth, December 1, 1874. 
Aroceedings of Scientific Societies. 
ZooLocicaL Society or Lonpon. 
January 5, 1875.—Dr. E. Hamtinron, Vice-President, in the chair. 
The Secretary read a report on the additions that had been made to the 
Society's Menagerie during the month of December, and called particular 
attention to a Campbell’s monkey (Cercopithecus Campbelli), purchased on 
the 15th of December, and two specimens of Uromastrix Hardwickii from 
India, presented by Lieut.-Colonel C. S. Sturt, on the 23rd of December. 
A letter was read from Dr. George Bennett, of Sydney, giving an account 
of an Indian beetle (Chrysochroa ocellata), which had been captured alive in 
the Bay of Bengal, 273 miles from the nearest land, by Captain Payne, of 
the barque ‘ William Mansoon.’ 
A letter was read from Mr. Anderson, of Futtehgurh, giving an account 
of the eggs and young of the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus). 
The Secretary read a letter addressed to him by the Marquess of Nor- 
manby, Governor of Queensland, announcing that he had forwarded by the 
~ ship ‘Ramsay,’ under the care of Captain Caven, a fine specimen of the 
Australian cassowary, as a present for the Society’s collection. 
