Zoological Society. 53 



second, and like it rough, with outstanding short spines, the end very 

 slightly thickened ; the end of the second joint gradually thickened, 

 with two claws, one fixed, with a small tooth inside near the base, 

 followed by a deepish notch ; the moveable claw with a largish tooth 

 about the middle, which fits into the notch of fixed claw. 



Ilab. New Zealand. 



Chelifer pallipes. 



Claws and body of a deep brown, the legs pale, the claws with a 

 greenish hue, and furnished with many pale hairs ; abdominal seg- 

 ments edged with palish; the femoral joints of legs much-com- 

 pressed. 



Hah. New Zealand. 



3. Notice of the capture of Orthagoriscus mola off the 

 Chesil, Bank, Dorsetshire. By Major Parlby. 



In this communication, which was addressed in the form of a letter 

 to Mr. Gray, Major Parlby stated that in the beginning of June 1846 

 the specimen in question was observed almost daily in the West Bay, 

 sometimes sailing about slowly with half its dorsal fin above the sur- 

 face of the water, sometimes moving with great rapidity, playing about 

 and splashing the water violently, or blowing like a whale or grampus. 

 As it generally kept off and on between the mackerel and the shore, 

 the fishermen attributed their ill success with the shoals, which never 

 left the deep water, to the presence of this unusual visitant ; and it is 

 remarkable that on the day after its capture they took upwards of 

 20,000 fish. 



The capture happened on the 1 3th of June, in consequence of the 

 Sunfish swimming directly into the centre of the line of nets. "When 

 entangled in the first net it exerted itself so powerfully that it broke 

 through, and was only secured by the yawl or outer net and the co- 

 operation of about forty men, who finally succeeded in landing it on 

 the Chesil Bank : and even here its vigour was so great that it dashed 

 about the pebbles, according to the fishermen's account, like a shower 

 of grape. It expired in about three hours, after uttering "hideous 

 groans, " like those of a horse dying of the staggers. 



On the capture becoming known to Major Parlby and Mr. Fox, 

 surgeon, of Weymouth, they hastened to inspect the fish, and found 

 that the skin was entirely covered with a white mucous slime, upon 

 the removal of which the real colour of the integument was discovered 

 to be of a dull dirty brown colour, and the texture to resemble the 

 most beautiful shagreen. 



Major Parlby and Mr. Fox having jointly purchased the fish, pro- 

 ceeded to have it prepared for the British Museum, to which insti- 

 tution they subsequently presented it. 



The dimensions are as follow : — ft- in* 



Total length 6 3 



Height of dorsal fin 2 5 



Breadth of it at base 1 3 



Height of ventral fin 2 3 



Girth 9 



