OCCASIONAL NOTES. 491 
Hen Harrier at Scry.—One of the finest examples of this 
-beautiful ‘species, in the character of the female or ringtail plumage, was 
sent over from the islands on October 30th. Its length, which I carefully 
ascertained, was twenty-two inches, and the whole of the under parts, 
including the thighs, were of an uniform cinnamon colour, without blotch 
or streak, giving the bird at first sight, when lying on its back, the 
appearance of the immature Montagu’s Harrier. The last-named. bird 
has been much more frequently met with at Scilly than the Hen Harrier, 
‘and it may be said that the former is far more abundant generally in 
Cornwall, at least in the Land’s End and Lizard districts— Epwarp 
Hearre Rovpp (Penzance). 
A Wurte Porrin.—Early in June last an almost white specimen of 
the Puffin was picked up alive on the sands between Redcar and Marske, 
and is now in the possession of a gentleman at Redcar. The bill is in the 
winter stage, and, with the exception of a few cinnamon-coloured feathers 
on the back, the whole of the plumage is white.—T. H. Newson (Redcar). 
Caprturié or A TorPEDO, oR Cramp Ray, at Beer, Drvon.— 
Mr. 8. Good, photographer, of Seaton, to whom I have been indebted for 
interesting specimens on several previous occasions, kindly sent me a 
female specimen of the Torpedo, or Cramp Ray, which was taken in a 
trawl-net by some Beer fishermen on the 28th October. It measured 
2 feet 9% inches in length, and 1 foot 8} inches across the back at the 
widest part. The spiracles were devoid of fringes, and the first dorsal fin 
was situated nearly entirely behind the roots of the ventrals. The outline 
of the head in front was straight, being only slightly concave in the centre.. 
The colour was a uniform dark brown above, and pure white on the under- 
side.; There were no traces of spots. It is doubtless.Torpedo habetans, Lowe. 
I examined the electrical organs, and the appearance of the peculiar 
gelatinous substance of which they are composed strongly reminded me 
of the egg-clusters of the Squid sometimes thrown up on our shores. I did 
not perceive that the cells were hexagonal in shape. They more resembled 
in form the cells in the pulp of a dry-fleshed orange... This fish is so rare 
on this,part of the coast, none having occurred, it is said, for at least thirty 
years, that, its power, of giving an, electrical, shock appears, to have been 
unknown, to its captors, At alljevents the first of them, who laid, hold of it 
received so severe a practical illustration of this part in its Natural History 
that his comrades thought he would have jumped overboard. The specimen 
has been preserved for this Museum; but, at the best, fishes of this family 
have but a sorry appearance when stuffed—W. 8. M. D’Ursan (Albert 
Memorial Museum, Exeter). 
Rare Fis. on tae Norrork AND SurroLKk Coast.—Mr. Gurney has 
recorded (p. 3142) the occurrence of a Sword-fish, captured at Sherringham 
