2970 Reptiles, Fishes, fyc. 



Brighton, which was picked up dead on the shore a day or two since. — ./. B. Ellman ; 

 Lewes, November 8, 1850. 



Occurrence of the Little Auk (Alca alle) at Crawley, Sussex. — A specimen of this 

 bird was obtained last week at the above place, which is about twenty miles from the 

 coast as the crow flies. — Id. 



Note on the food of the Woodpigeo?i. — I examined this afternoon the crops of three 

 woodpigeons, which I had shot in the morning, during a walk through a wood called 

 the " Butcher's Nursery," close above the town. The two first birds I shot were young 

 ones, about a month old; the last was an old one; the young ones were shot about 

 10 a.m., and the old one about half-past 1 p.m. The contents of the crop of the first 

 young one, were nineteen beech-masts, and forty-one wheat seeds ; the crop of tbe 

 other young one contained forty-five beech-masts and a hundred and forty-one wheat 

 seeds ; and the crop of the old one, a hundred and forty-five beech-masts, and a hun- 

 dred and one wheat seeds, chiefly with the husks on them. No other seeds of any 

 description were within the crops. — J. M. Jones ; Montgomery, North Wales, October 

 24, 1850. 



Food of a Freshwater Tortoise. — Seeing an enquiry in the 'Zoologist,' (Zool. 

 2954) respecting the food for a freshwater tortoise, from Mr. Birchall, I beg to state 

 that it will thrive best on small bits of meat or very small fish, such as minnows, which 

 it will pick to pieces very adroitly. I have no doubt that the species is Chelodina lon- 

 gicollis (C. Nova? Hollandia, Bibr.) I had one of this species living in a little pond 

 or tank for a considerable time ; and it was very curious to observe how accurately it 

 graduated the quantity of air in the lungs ; so that it was enabled to rest wholly sub- 

 merged, excepting the anterior part of the head as far as the eyes, which remained 

 constantly above the surface ; and in that position it would continue motionless for 

 half an hour or an hour together. — Thomas Bell ; Selborne, November 4, 1850. 



Occurrence of the Porbeagle Shark off the Chesil Bank. — A specimen of Lamna 

 Cornubica of Yarrell, the Porbeagle shark, was taken last week off the Chesil Bank, 

 by the fishermen who were looking out for herrings. I at first took it to be C. glaucus, 

 but on a more careful examination altered my opinion : it is called by the fishermen, 

 round-nose ;'Cuvier's name is squale'nez. The following are the dimensions : length 

 six feet; snout to [eye, five inches; snout to dorsal, two feet two inches; base of 

 dorsal, one foot; height, eleven inches; dorsal to commencement of caudal, three 

 feet ; eye, two inches in diameter ; gape, when extended, eighteen inches. Colour dark 

 gray, belly white. Teeth, three rows ; one row much longer than the others. I have 

 also lately taken two specimens of Raia marginata, and one of the green wrasse 

 (Labrus linea ius), both rare fish. — William Thompson; 11, Frederick Place, Wey- 

 mouth. 



