January 13, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



53 



small dug-out creek emptying into Clam 

 Pond Cove. It was at the edge of the shore 

 and partly out of water, having followed 

 the channel to the head of the creek and 

 then failed to discover a way out. 



A large menhaden (Brevoortia tijrannus) 

 was captured by an osprey in Great South 

 Bay and carried through the air fully two 

 miles. The osprey was struck by a charge 

 of shot and dropped its prey, which was 

 then found to be alive. The young of the 

 menhaden were migrating westward in 

 large schools, swimming near the surface of 

 the bay, on October 1st. 



The lizard fish {Synodus fcetens), which 

 was obtained almost everywhere in Great 

 South Bay in 1890, was almost entirely 

 absent, only a single example having been 

 secured. 



The half-beak {Hyporhamplms roberti^v/as 

 found in small numbers and was occasion- 

 ally seen swimming in the water. Its 

 movements are closely similar to those of 

 the silver gar {Tylosunis marinus'). This is 

 one of the species captured at night by the 

 use of a large reflector lantern. The light 

 apparently dazes the fish so that it can 

 easily be taken out of the water with a dip- 

 net. 



The small silverside (Menidia beryUina) 

 occurs abundantly in fresh and brackish 

 waters throughout the region explored and 

 was once seined in salt water near Fire 

 Island. On September 24th a young indi- 

 vidual from Swan River measured one and 

 one-sixteenth inches in length. The rough 

 silverside (Kirtlandia Icwiniata) was added 

 to the New York fauna by the capture of 

 an adult example in Mecox Bay, August 

 1st. This has the following characters : 

 D. V, I, 7 ; A, I, 20 ; P. 14 ; V, I, 5 ; scales 

 7 — 47. It was associated with tho common 

 silverside (Menidia notata). 



The red mullet {Midlus auratus) was ob- 

 tained, October 17th, from a fish pound near 

 Clam Pond Cove. Although the species 



occurs occasionally as far north as Cape 

 Cod, it seems to be recorded now for the 

 first time from Long Island. It was seined 

 by the writer at Sandy Hook, October 8, 

 1897, and was reported by fishermen to 

 have been abundant there in September and 

 October of that year. 



The saurel ( Traclmrus trachurus) was se- 

 cured in a gill net, October 16th, in Clam 

 Pond Cove, along with young bluefish and 

 menhaden. Young horse- crevalle {Caranx 

 hi2rpos) were obtained at several localities 

 in Great South Bay, and the common cre- 

 valle ( Caranx crysos) was brought from a 

 pound near Clam Pond Cove late in October. 

 The thread-fish (Alectis ciliaris) is repre- 

 sented by two individuals from a pound near 

 Islip. The look-down (Selene vomer) was 

 seined at Duncan's Creek, August 29th. 

 The common compano ( Trachinotiis carolinus) 

 made its appearance in October in the 

 vicinity of Fire Island Inlet. Only the 

 young were obtained. 



The black rudder fish (PaUnitriehthys perci- 

 formis), usually occurring off shore under 

 floating logs and boxes, made its way into 

 Great South Bay, and one example was 

 caught in Clam Pond Cove, October 11th, 

 bj' Captain George Yarrington. Eucinos- 

 tomus gida, formerly so abundant in north- 

 ern waters in mid-summer, is represented 

 in the collection by a single, very small in- 

 dividual, seined in Clam Pond Cove, Au- 

 gust 22d. 



The yellow tail or silver perch (Bairdiella 

 chrysura), which was plentiful in all parts of 

 Great South Bay in 1890, proved to be 

 scarce everywhere except at Nichols' Point, 

 where the young were collected in moder- 

 ate numbers, September 1st. 



A single Chatodon ( C. ocellatus) was ob- 

 tained from a pound near Clam Pond Cove, 

 October 17th. This is conspicuously beauti- 

 ful on account of the orange color of its fins 

 contrasting sharply with the dark bands on 

 the head and body. The species was taken 



