NOTES AND QUERIES. 371 
killed a Viper, which “he saw swallow five or six things that looked like 
worms,” before he was near enough to strike at it. He killed it by hitting 
it on the head with a stick he was carrying, and then made steady pressure 
on the body of the reptile with his boot, when he saw seven young Vipers 
wriggle out of the mother’s mouth in quick succession. He described 
them as being “ vicious little things, that all showed fight,” and the size of 
them as being approximately “the thickness of whipcord,” and several 
inches in length.— Percy Renpatr (20, Ladbroke Square, W.). 
FISHES. 
Ray’s Bream at Penzance.—I have to record the capture of a fine 
specimen of Ray’s Bream. It was taken in a pool about six feet deep 
artificially formed in the course of the building of a pier at Newlyn in this 
bay. The masons had finished the concrete wall, and were pumping out 
the water, when the fish was seen swimming about, and on being captured 
by a boat-hook run through the eye, was then brought direct to me. It is 
the first I have seen with all its scales on, and it is a much more silvery 
fish than the specimen coloured by Couch (1st ed., vol. ii, p. 129), but 
Day (vol. i., p. 115) mentions that its colours “ appear subject to con- 
siderable variation.” When first seen it was swimming with activity and 
speed, and as I had already received some five or six specimens (and 
indeed eaten one), I determined to have this one cooked. The stomach 
was quite empty, and the intestines very short. The flesh proved firm and 
white, not flaky, and of excellent flavour. This is, I believe, the first 
specimen observed alive and well. All the other recorded specimens, 
except one, have been taken on the beach in a dead or dying condition 
after storms. The exception is a case in which Mr. Couch, in 1828, had 
brought to him a Specimen taken on a line (see Yarrell, 1st ed., vol. i., 
120; Couch, Ist ed., vol. ii., 129), but the method of capture is mentioned 
with particular vagueness.—Tuomas CornisH (Penzance). 
STELLERIDA. 
Rare Star Fish off Aberdeen.—In ‘ The Zoologist’ for 1882 (p. 24) 
Thad the pleasure of recording the occurrence off Aberdeen of that rare 
and elegant Ophinorid Asteronya Lovéni, Mull. and Fr. I have now to 
report the occurrence of a second example, taken in the same locality. 
Indeed, on this oceasion two specimens were taken, but one of them 
having got broken into several pieces, it was cast overboard by the fisher- 
men as worthless.—Grorer Linn (14, King Street, Aberdeen). 
