848 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The length of the larger of two specimens examined by me was exactly one 

 foot, and its depth three inches ; the other somewhat less. Both are now 

 preserved in spirit in the Museum of the Plymouth Institution, and the 

 other two were, I believe, sent to Exeter for the Albert Memorial Museum. 

 This species, like the Pilot-fish, is said to follow wrecks and large Sharks 

 towards the shore, but I have not heard of either having been lately found or 

 seen on this part of the coast. — J. Gatcombe (Durnford St., Stonehouse). 



Ichthyological Notes from Mevagissey, Cornwall. — April 26th. — 

 Young Flounders, PUdessa Jiesus, first seen for the season in our harbour; 

 not larger than rice-grains, with eyes on each side of their heads, and 

 swimming on the surface of the sea. My sou also noted them at Port- 

 melon beach, about a mile from here. They are to be seen every year 

 about this date, and yet I have not been able to find the spawn in the sac 

 before the young break the eggs. April 27th. — Sea Urchins {Spataugns) 

 found at Portmelon beach in great quantities about six inches below the 

 suiface of the sand near low water, and congregated together in a shoal 

 near the west rocks in about fifteen square feet. Every one has a hole in 

 the sand communicating with the sea. The strangest circumstance is 

 that they appear to be eating the sea-sands ; possibly the worms and other 

 marine life which the sands contain may sustain the life of the creatures, 

 and not the sand itself. April 29th. — Mackerel boats were fishing from 

 twenty to forty miles from land last night. Some landed as much as 2000 

 Mackerel; fish rather small, but all were full of roe — should think many 

 would spawn in a fortnight. Quantities of minute Crustacea in the 

 stomachs of all of them ; I estimated that one had full thirty thousand of 

 them stuffed tightly in his stomach-sac. April 30th. — Some Sea Bream, 

 Fagellus ventrodontus, for the first time for the season ; and Garfish, 

 Esox belone, with well-develoi)ed roes in them. May 1st. — Joseph Elvins 

 caught some hundreds of Herrings in his seine. Found they were feeding 

 on minute yoinig Herrings of about an inch long. One large Herring had 

 eaten full fifty little ones. Dr. Day confirmed the fact that they were 

 young Herrings ; I sent him several, and a large Herring with a roe in 

 it. The fish should have spawned in February, but could not do so in 

 consequence of the vent being obstructed ; the eggs had not yet broken 

 out into the intestines, but were on the point of doing so; the eggs looked 

 white and ijickly. I have known Mackerel and Ling in this state; in the 

 Mackerel these scatter among the intestines. I believe I have seen three 

 years' eggs in one fish. June 12tli. — Noted a Sandy Ray (Couch), female. 

 Couch's figure is also that of a female. I have never yet seen a male of 

 this species. Picked-dog-fish (Couch) are full of young ones and eggs. I 

 believe 1 have seen them in this state in every month since December last. 

 Took several large red parasites from gills of the Bib, Morrhua lusca. 

 These must be new to science, for neither Couch nor Day mention them. 



