4626 THE ZooLoGisTt—SEPTEMBER, 1875. 
changed every three or four days. The fish having escaped once or twice, 
I covered the top lightly with a sheet of paper. One very hot night, unable 
to sleep on account of the great heat, I left my state-room for the main 
saloon, where the fish was kept in the glass rack: to my surprise, I found 
it coiled up on, and slightly adherent to, the oilcloth of the table. From the 
dryness of the table the fish must have escaped some time, and never after- 
wards became perfectly straight. Its power next day was undiminished, 
but I had little hope of getting it to England alive; however, I transferred 
it to a safer vessel, and was rewarded with success. The fish was four 
inches long, and gave out sufficient shock to prevent its being grasped 
in the ordinary way. ‘The natives handle them by passing the hand under 
them, opened flat ; in this way there is very little, if any, shock transmitted. 
A succession of shocks weakens very much the force of the fish. The life 
of the fish in England is interesting only in showing its hardihood, as it 
lived alone in an aquarium supplied with pond water at ordinary tem- 
perature until November,—about six months altogether,—when I imagine 
the temperature and the character of the water caused its death. At the 
time, I remember, Mr. Robertson, of the University Museum, Oxford, 
telling me that Professor Goodsir had kept two for two years, though in his 
case (speaking from memory) I believe the water was maintained at a 
suitable temperature. On the coast the fish is thought to be peculiar to 
Old Calabar, which is situate over seventy miles from the mouth of the 
river. I did not hear of it seventy miles up the so-called Sherboro’ River. 
The fish are found of much larger size, and if kept in captivity together the 
larger invariably kills the smaller. I do not know how this report agrees 
with Professor Goodsir’s pair; they may have been of nearly equal size. 
They also kill other fish. I have an idea that I some years ago read in an 
encyclopedia an account of the apparatus by which the shocks are caused, 
which materially differs from that of the Torpedo or Gymnotus. My speci- 
men was given to Dr. Moxon, of Guy’s Hospital, who at the commencement 
of a much-valued friendship gave me my first taste for Zoology. Since 
writing the above I have visited the Society’s Gardens, and find that their 
specimen died early last week. It seems to have been much the same size 
as my own, but was kept, according to the keeper's statement, in water at a 
temperature of 64° Fahr.—John Bird; 38, Brook Street, W.— Field,’ 
August 14, 1875. 
Catocala Fraxini at Eastbourne.—I captured a fine specimen of Catocala 
Fraxini last Monday, opposite the Hospital here; it was at rest on a post, 
and looked as fresh as if it had just come out of pupa.——W. E, Parsons ; 
$5, Langney Road, Eastbourne, August 19, 1875. 
