THE ZooLocGist—SEPTEMBER, 1876. 5055 
unless, as I have suggested, his specimen had been long dead. 
He casually refers to them in his description of the fish, but does 
not lay sufficient stress upon the posterior pair. 
In every English book, with the one exception named, where it 
has been necessary to figure Murena Helena, chiefly as an illustra- 
tion of the genus, Yarrell’s figure has been carefully copied, and 
special remark has been made on the peculiar shape of the head 
and shoulders. Even ina chart of fishes illustrating orders and 
families, this erroneous figure is carefully given in all its incor- 
rectness. This is evidently one of those cases where a scientific 
error has been perpetuated for a long period without correction by 
one writer after another: on this occasion possibly there is some 
excuse because of the previous difficulty of observing the animal in 
a living state. This is one of the instances of the coming 
scientific use of public aquaria, wherein may be so readily studied, 
in comfort, creatures which otherwise could never have their habits 
observed. 
Murena Helena seems to have been an object of attention in 
several ways from very remote times. Who does not remember 
the story told by Pliny of that “ Roman gentleman” and favourite 
of the Emperor Augustus, Vedius Pollio, who used to punish his 
offending slaves by throwing them into ponds wherein were kept 
numbers of Murena eels, that they might be nibbled or worried to 
death by these animals? Dr. Holland, in his quaint translation, 
says, “ That there were not wilde beastes ynow upon lande for this 
fate, but because he tooke pleasure to behold a man torn and 
plucket in pieces all at once, which pleasant sight he could uot 
see upon any other beastes upon lande.” That there was some 
foundation for this legend there can be little doubt, for a story has 
been told by more than one author of one particular occasion when 
Augustus was paying a visit of state to the house of Vedius Pollio. 
During a large entertainment which was being given in honour of 
this event one of the attendant slaves was waiting at table. Possibly 
he was confused by the greatness of the occasion or the “ quality” 
of the guests; at any rate he was not attending to the warning 
motto placed over the door of the servants’ hall, which might be 
very liberally translated as 
‘* Whoever breaks the glass or dishes, 
That man becomes the food for fishes,” 
