4500 THE Zootocist—JuNE, 1875. 
tame pigeons. Can any of your correspondents inform me if this is a 
common habit with tame pigeons, or is it possible that these Belgian birds 
may have had some remote origin from the stock dove?—4A. H. Smee; 
May 11, 1875. 
[I have some dozen or so of black tumblers, some few of which often settle 
in an old elder tree hard by their dormitory, and they would prefer sleeping 
thus in the open, but neighbours’ cats consider this a capital offence, and 
when they detect an offender inflict the punishment of death_—Edward 
Newman. | 
Stock Dove in Northumberland.—A very perfect specimen of the stock 
dove (Columba @nas) was shot on the 2nd instant at Lowlynn, in Northum- 
berland. It was taken for a wood pigeon, and was settling in a wood at 
roosting time in company with a number of those birds. As I take it this 
is a rare occurrence so far north (Selby stating that he could never trace it 
into any of the northern counties) I think it may be worthy of note. It has 
been sent to Mr. C. Gordon, of Dover, for preservation—V. Knight ; 
Tweedside Villa, Berwick-on-Tweed, February 23, 1875. 
Shieldrake near Ringwood.—A two-year old male of this species was 
shot on the river on the ]6th of November; it was observed for a week 
previously congregating with a number of tame ducks. The species is not 
often met with in this locality —G. B. Corbin. 
Torpedo, Electrical Ray or Numbfish, on the Cornish Coast.—I have just 
received a specimen of the torpedo or electrical ray (also known as the 
numbfish). It measures three feet over all and two feet two inches across 
the wings. It weighs thirty-three pounds, and was caught on spillers (hook 
and line) in twenty fathoms of water off the “ watering place” near Lamorna, 
in this bay. The captor, Mr. Eastaway, informs me that it was caught 
on a “ ginged” hook (7. e., a hook of which the line for about six inches from 
the hook is whipped closely with fine copper wire). As he got the ginged 
part of the line in his right hand he “felt his hand give way.” Te then 
caught the line with his left hand and put his right hand on the wing of 
the fish to get it into the boat. He then felt a tingling in his right hand, 
which extended beyond the wrist. After the fish was in the boat he cut 
the hook of its mouth. In doing this he had the ginged line in his left 
hand and a knife in his right, but neither hand touched the fish. He felt 
both hands affected by the tingling up to the wrists. He describes the 
feeling as that which ensues when one’s fingers have been “asleep” and 
are recovering. He says he felt the tendons of the palm of his hands 
contracted. A man who washed the fish over the boat's side after she came 
in was affected by the shock as far up as the elbows. When I saw the fish 
eh 
