4886 THE ZooLtocist—APRIL, 1876. 
Lord Clermont’s work on the ‘Reptiles of Europe’: at p. 8199 of the 
twentieth volume a third record is to be found, accompanied by the inte- 
resting fact that the specimen, a female, had produced six young ones at 
the ‘ Field’ Office, 346, Strand; and at p. 1653 of the Second Series I gave 
a history of the species as British Edward Newman.) 
Size of Gray Mullet.—I was very much surprised to read, in the February 
number of the ‘ Zoologist’ (S. S. 4806), a communication headed ‘ Giant 
Gray Mullet,” in which four pounds one ounce and a half seems to be 
considered an extraordinary weight. Now I should think such a specimen 
small: to give a couple of instances from last year; the largest I saw was 
weighed in my presence, and turned the scale on ten pounds and a half; 
one which I caught at the Skerries—a group of rocks between one and two 
miles from land, opposite Portrush, Co. Antrim—weighed very nearly seven 
pounds: this specimen was obtained when fishing with a crab bait for sea- 
bream, in a strong eddy, and is the third that I have seen caught in the same 
way. Besides these two examples there was a much-coveted monster, which 
frequented a particular part of the harbour here, and which I tried to 
catch in every way that I could think of, but in vain. I pointed it out 
several times to fishermen, and offered a good sum for it, but they were as 
unsuccessful as I was; their most tempting baits were passed scornfully ; 
it never seemed to eat anything, though I have watched it for hours within 
a few feet of me: all it did was to take the sea-weeds in its mouth, and 
draw them through it from the bottom to the top: those whom I showed it 
to agreed that it could not be.less than twelve pounds weight. If he 
returns next summer I hope to make a nearer acquaintance with him. 
Thompson records specimens from Belfast Bay of over ten pounds, and one 
of fourteen pounds and three-quarters. I am well aware that our Irish 
species is different from the common English one, but I have not been 
able to find, either in Yarrell or Giinther, any record of the size to which 
M. capito grows: perhaps some of your readers may be able to tell me 
whether it is so much smaller a species than M. septentrionalis. | Con- 
cerning the distinction between this latter and M. chelo, I can only say 
that seven specimens which I have examined constantly showed the 
differences pointed out by Dr. Giinther (‘Catalogue of Fishes,’ vol. iii., - 
p- 456), but I have never had an opportunity of comparing this species 
with examples of the true M. chelo.—J. Douglas Ogilby ; The Nest, Portrush, 
March 8, 1876. 
Wolf-fish at Hastings.—On the 29th of February last one of our Hastings 
fishing-boats brought in a fine specimen of the wolf-fish (Anarrichas lupus 
of Yarrell, vol. i., p. 247). It was three feet one inch in length, one 
foot seven inches in greatest circumference, and weighed fifteen pounds. 
