472 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



grey birds were found there, whereas neither Mr. Wjatt nor I have ever 

 seen an entirely grey bird from this neighbourhood. The males of the 

 common rufous form are all more or less greyish brown. — F. C. Aplin 

 (Bodicole, Banbury, Oxon). 



FISHES. 



Balistes capriscus off Folkestone. — Two species of the genus 

 Balistes common in the Atlantic are occasionally met with on the British 

 coasts, B. capriscus and B. maculatus. Their popular names " File-fish " and 

 " Trigger-lish " are derived from peculiarities thus described by Dr. Giinther 

 in the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' (9th ed.), under the name "File-fish": — 

 " Their body is compressed and not covered with ordinary scales, but with 

 small juxtaposed scutes. Their other principal characteristics consist in the 

 structure of their first dorsal fin (which consists of three spines) and in their 

 peculiar dentition. The first of the three dorsal spines is very strong, 

 roughened in front like a file, and hollowed out behind to receive the second 

 much smaller spine, which besides has a projection in front at its base, 

 fitting into a notch of the first. Thus these two spines can only be raised 

 or depressed simultaneously, in such a manner that the first cannot be 

 forced down unless the second has been previously depressed. The latter 

 has been compared to a trigger, hence the name of "Trigger-fish." The 

 generic mime Balistes and the Italian name Pesce balistra also refer to this 

 structure. Both jaws are armed with strong incisor-like and sometimes 

 pointed teeth, by which these fishes are enabled not only to break off pieces 

 of madrepores and other corals on which they feed, but also to chisel a hole 

 into the hard shells of MoUusca in order to extract the soft parts. In this 

 way they destroy an immense number of mollusks, and become most 

 injurious to the pearl-fisheries. The specimen of Balistes capriscus to 

 wliicli this note refers was captured in a trawl on the 27th September last 

 in the bay between Folkestone and Dungeuess Point. When fresh it was 

 of a dull slate-colour, and measured lOJ inches in length and 4f inches in 

 depth, excluding the fins. It was forwarded from Folkestone to Mr. Teget- 

 meier, who in ' The Field' of the 4th October last has given a brief account 

 of it. — J. E. Hakting. 



Ray swallowing a Crayfish. — At Senneu Cove, near the Land's End, 

 one day in September, a large Ray of some sort was captured. Its belly 

 was unusually distended, so much so that Mr. James B. Coulson, my 

 informant (a seine owner there) caused the fish to be opened, and in its 

 stomach was found a Crayfish, or Common Spiny Lobster, Palinurus vuhjaris, 

 of considerable size. I have no doubt of the accuracy of this information, 

 and those who know the capacity of the mouth of the Rays for lateral 

 extension (or gape) will not doubt their ability to swallow Crayfish, but 

 surely this cannot be of common occurrence. — Thos. Coknish (Penzance). 



