342 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Oblong Sunfish in Cornwall. — A specimen of the Oblong Sunfish, 

 Orthagoriscus truncatus, was taken in Looe Harbour on June 23rd. It 

 was seen swimming on tbe surface of the water, having come in with the 

 evening tide. Two fishermen at once followed it in a boat and captured it, 

 in what is known here as a " keep-net." It was quickly brought to me, and 

 was alive when I first saw it. Immediately before death the colours were 

 most brilliant, the back being of a dark purple, gradually decreasing in 

 intensity to the belly, which was white, with golden reflections, the sides 

 marked with green lines on the purple; towards the tail there were several 

 irregular white spots, about the size of a threepenny-piece ; the dorsal, anal 

 and pectoral fins were of a pale lead-colour, bat the caudal-fin was most 

 brilliant, being of a bright burnished silver, with prismatic reflections, the 

 rays tinged with purple, whilst between the rays there were keyhole-shaped 

 markings, edged with gold, forming such a brilliant combination of colours 

 as is not easily imagined. But, alas ! all this brilliancy entirely vanished 

 a few minutes after the death of the fish, when it assumed the dull blue 

 colour of the figure in Couch's ' British Fishes,' which is exceedingly good, 

 but might have been a few shades darker. The following measurements 

 were taken in my presence: — Length from snout to end of caudal-fin, 

 25 in. ; depth of body close behind the pectoral fin, 15 in. ; distance between 

 tips of dorsal and anal fin, 22 in. ; from base to base of the same fins, 9 in., 

 the space between being filled up by the caudal fin ; from snout to eye, 4 in.; 

 pectoral fins, in. ; dorsal and anal fins, 7£ in. — Stephen Clogg (Looe). 



[It is remarkable that on the very day on which this specimen was 

 captured in Looe Harbour (June 23rd) there appeared, in the Natural- 

 History columns of 'The Field,' a report of anolhea, which was taken on 

 the coast of Pembrokeshire, at Saundersfoot, on June 21st. This latter 

 specimen, which was forwarded by the captor to the Editor of ' The Field,' 

 has beeu presented to the British Museum, where it may now be seen. It 

 would appear to be about the same size as the Looe specimen, for it is of 

 exactly the same length (25 inches), and from its weight must be regarded 

 as immature. The Common Sunfish, Orthagoriscus mola, attains to a very 

 large size, sometimes measuring seven or eight feet, and weighing as many 

 hundredweights; it has a rough granulated skin, the Oblong Sunfish, 

 O. truncatus, beiug distinguished by its smooth tessellated skin. The latter 

 (according to Dr. Giinther, ' Study of Fishes,' p. 090) is one of the scarcest 

 fishes iu collections. The specimens recently captured, however, are not 

 the first which have been captured on the British coast; others have been 

 recorded to have been taken at intervals at Swansea, in the Moray Firth, 

 and in Orkney. — Ed.] 



MOLLUSC A. 



The claims of Helix pomatia as a British Mollusk. — The following 

 interesting correspondence on this subject has recently appeared in the 

 columns of ' Nature ' : — 



