386 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
distributed. Fins brown, with some dark blotches on the dorsal and anal. 
The fishermen insisted upon its being a young Brill. It would seem to be 
common in Mount’s Bay, Mr. Cornish having obtained forty-eight examples 
there between 1858 and 1866. 
Torpedo, or Cramp-fish, Torpedo hebetans. This fish I have reason to 
belive, is not very uncommon. At the beginning of August Mr. Matthews, 
while on board of a trawler off Polperro, observed a large one just captured, 
which the fishermen were about eviscerating (its liver being removed for the 
oil it contains), and which would have subsequently been thrown overboard. 
It was saved for my collection. August 6th, one was trawled off Penzance ; 
August 10th, another, in a debilitated condition, was seen making slowly 
towards the shore in Mount’s Bay and secured by means of a boat-hook. 
During the present month one was taken at St. Ives, and two more have 
been captured at Mevagissey this season. 
Sting Ray, Trygon pastinaca. Mr. Cornish has recorded one from 
Porthcarrow Sands, nine miles from Penzance. On August 10th I received 
a young example, measuring seven inches across the disc, which had just 
been taken in Mount’s Bay, and about the 1st of the month two more were 
said to have been secured at St. Ives in a trawler. The Westminster 
Aquarium, during the last few years, has received several from the south 
coast, while they are by no means uncommon off the mouth of the 
Thames. 
Along the S.W. coast one of the principal articles of food for the 
Mackarel, &c., are the numerous young Clupeida, locally known as “ Britt,” 
and which generally abound at this period of the year. Although said to 
be young Herrings, Clupea harengus, all that I have examined, and which 
were received from Falmouth, were young Sprats, C. sprattus. The fry of 
this latter fish is now being captured in enormous numbers at St. Ives as 
bait for Gurnards, from four to six being used for each hook, the bait being 
threaded through the eye.—Franois Day (Kenilworth House, Pittville, - 
Cheltenham). 
THRESHER SHARK ON THE CornisH Coast.—A Thresher Shark, 
Charcharius vulpes, was taken on August 10th, in Whitsand Bay, in the 
nets of one of our pilchard-driving boats. It measured 9 feet 8 inches in 
length in a straight line, and 9 ft. 8 in. on the curve, the tail being exactly 
5 ft.; from the snout to the first dorsal fin, 2 ft. 2 in.; between the dorsal 
fins, 15 in.; from the second dorsal fin to the tail, 6} in.; depth of tail, 
123 in.; from fork to upper part of tail, 8} in.; from vent to tail, 15 in.; 
girth round insertion of tail, 142 in. The fish had been much mutilated 
before I saw it, so that I was unable to take the girth of any other part. 
Mouth, 3} in. from snout; gape of mouth, 5 in. Colour, dark lead on back, 
white underneath. Pectoral fin, 152 in. long by 92 in. wide at base; the 
