NOTES AND QUERIES. 355 



arrived at his fishing-grounds, first chews and spits on the water a mouthful 

 of candle-nut meat, which renders tlie water glassy and clear ; he then drops 

 the shell with hook and line into the water, and swings it over a place 

 likely to be inhabited by an Octopus. The moment an Octopus perceives 

 a cowry, it shoots an arm out and clasps the shell. If the shell is of the 

 attractive kind, one arm after another comes out, and finally the whole 

 body of the Octopus is withdrawn from the hole and attaches itself to the 

 cowry, which it closely hugs, curling itself all around it. The creature 

 remains very quiet while being rapidly drawn up through the water. Just 

 as it reaches the surface, the fisherman pulls the string so as to bring its 

 head against the edge of the canoe, and it is killed by a blow from a club 

 which is struck between the eyes. This must be done rapidly, before the 

 animal has time to become alarmed ; for if it lets go the cowry it becomes 

 a dangerous antagonist, and there is risk of the fisherman being squeezed to 

 death. The cutting off of one or more of its eight arms does not affect the 

 rest in the least. 



INSECTS. 



Craneflies preyed upon by Gulls and Terns. — When dissecting a 

 mature Lesser Black-backed Gull, Larus fuscus, on the 15th August, 

 I found the stomach and throat crammed full of the common Cranefly, 

 Tipiila longicornis. When taken out of the bird's crop they weighed one 

 ounce and a half, so I thought the fact worth mention. — C. Brazenoii 

 (Brighton). 



[We have often observed the Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, 

 and the Common and Black Terns, Sterna fluviatilis and nigra, catching 

 Craneflies on the wing, on a still summer evening, when these insects were 

 flying in clouds near the water. — Ed.] 



Retirement of Mr. A. G. More.— Mr. A. G. More, F.L.S., M.R.I.A., 

 a long and valued contributor to ' The Zoologist,' has unfortunately been 

 obliged, owing to ill health, to resign his appointment as Curator to the 

 Natural History Department of the Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 

 Before he went to Ireland Mr. More had written an account of the Fauna 

 and Flora of the Isle of Wight in Canon Venables' Guide to that Island, 

 and had also published an important series of papers " On the Distribution 

 of Birds in Great Britain during the Nesting-season" in 'The Ibis' for 

 1865. The central idea of cataloguing the nesting-places of birds was his 

 own, and the working of it out involved an immense amount of labour. 

 On first going to Ireland Mr. More originated the idea of producing a Flora 

 of Ireland. This he accomplished by putting in writing and critically 

 e.xamiuing the great store of facts which the late Dr. D. Moore had 



