294 Zoology. 



plate of Bruguiere so faithful, that he could not render to science a better ser- 

 vice than to copy the plate of the latter. After this time the same description was 

 adopted by most zoologists in various countries of Europe, until M. Raspail, in 

 his beautiful and elaborate essay in the fourth volume of the Memoires de la So- 

 ciete d'Historie Naturelle, pointed out the errors of his predecessors, and showed 

 that the polype of Alcyonella contains not less than forty-four tentacula : That 

 the circle of tentacula is complete, surrounding the mouth, but depressed into a 

 horse -shoe form, and not constituting an incomplete circle, as stated by Bru- 

 guiere, Lamouroux and others. That the tentacula are linear, not terminated by 

 a rounded button as represented by Bruguiere and Lamouroux, and sanctioned by 

 Lamarck. The error respecting the button-like extremities of the tentacula ap- 

 pears to have arisen from the examination having been made with only mode- 

 rate magnifying powers. If examined with a common pocket lens, of \\ inch 

 or even % inch focus, the tentacula appear to be terminated by a rounded knob. 

 This, however, is merely an optical illusion, from the recurved state of the ex- 

 tremities of the tentacula. Their linear form throughout becomes immediately 

 obvious on examining them with higher magnifying powers. For this purpose 

 it is easy to detach an entire living, polype, and examine it when expanded in a 

 watch glass, with a lens of -^ of an inch focus. Single tentacula may be de- 

 tached and examined by still higher magnifying powers (^ of an inch) when the 

 cilia upon their surface become distinctly visible. — T. P. Teale. 



Sparus aurata, Jenyns's Brit. Vert. Anim. p. 353 — The description of this 

 fish has been so mixed up with that of the Pagellus centrodontus by British ich- 

 thyologists, and it is apparently so very rare in our seas, that Mr Jenyns doubts 

 whether it has really any claim at all to a place in our Fauna. I am able to re- 

 move this doubt satisfactorily, having in my possession a specimen of the fish, 

 which was taken at the mouth of the Tweed in the month of May last. The 

 fishermen inform me that they usually procure three or four specimens during 

 the season. The one I have measures 18 inches in length, including the tail ; 

 and there is not the faintest appearance of the " longitudinal golden-coloured 

 bands on the sides," so particularly mentioned by Mr Yarrell, and shown in his 

 figure, but in other respects it agrees very well with the description — G. J. 

 Mr Yarrell's figure is taken from the work of Cuvier and Valenciennes. 



Clupea alba The white bait has been observed by Dr Parnell in abundance 



in the Solway Frith, in June last. This is another Scotch locality for this little 

 fish, and it is probable that its distribution will be found to be more extended 

 than generally supposed, its small size being conducive to its concealment, ex- 

 cept to the ichthyologist who examines the waters for himself. — R. P. 



Cetonia aurata This fine insect, abundant in England, was observed in great 



numbers in one locality on the west coast of Galloway, by Dr Graham and Mr 

 Scott in August last. The situation is close to the sea, and the spot in which 

 the insect was found of very limited extent, and surrounded by precipitous rock. 

 In every instance the insect was resting on the flowers of Angelica sylvestris. 

 Eight specimens were taken, and are in the possession of Dr Greville — R.K.G. 



Bufo calamita This little toad is abundant on the shore of the Solway 



Frith, at Saturness point, Galloway. The principal locality is near the village 



