390 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



the neighbourhood of Corfe, I was astonished to find large parties of young 

 Swallows flying in what I may call the wrong direction, i. e. westwards, 

 under the hills. It was hardly possible that they were making for a 

 roosting-place ; it was not late enough in the afternoon. It struck me as 

 not unlikely that these young and inexperienced birds, or many of them, 

 are turned out of their natural route along the coast by the high and steep 

 ridge of down which fences in Swanage Bay to the north with perpendicular 

 chalk cliffs, and separates the whole Isle of Purbeck from the low heathy 

 district inland. Of course they would cross this ridge at any point if they 

 chose to do so; but repeated observations on this coast have led me to 

 believe that they find their way with great caution, and are easily deflected 

 from their course by any natural obstacle. I was confirmed in my con- 

 jecture by noticing that numbers of the birds were passing through the 

 only gap in this ridge which offers itself between Swanage and Corfe, viz. 

 that through which the road runs to Studland. The more obvious one at 

 Corfe would solve the difficulties of such travellers as chanced to miss this 

 one. I wished to investigate the matter more closely, but unluckily for 

 me the migration suddenly ceased, and I walked the next day along the 

 ridge from Corfe to Lulworth without seeing a single Swallow. It is 

 perhaps worth noting that the wind had changed in the night to the west, 

 and was blowing with some strength. — W. Warde Fowler. 



FISHES. 



Sunfish at Filey.— On August 22nd a nice specimen of the Short 

 Sunfish (Orthagoriscus mola) was captured floating on the surface of the 

 water, two miles south of the Bell Buoy, Filey. It measured 27i inches 

 from tip to tip of fins, and 22 inches total length. After being exhibited at 

 Scarborough for a short time it was purchased for some museum, the name 

 of which I have been unable to ascertain. — W. J. Clarke (44, Huntriss 

 Bow, Scarborough). 



Large Pike in Co. Mayo. — An unusually large Pike (Esox lucius) was 

 taken with a spoon-bait in Lough Conn, by Mr. F. Roberts, of Windsor. 

 It measured 49 in. in length, 23 in. in girth, and weighed 35 lbs. Naturally 

 such a trophy as this was considered worth preserving, and it has accordingly 

 been sent to Mr. Cooper, of Radnor Street, St. Luke's, E.C., who sustains 

 his late father's reputation as the best preserver of fish in the metropolis. 



MOLLUSCA. 



Oysters attacked by Starfishes. — The question whether Starfishes 

 are inimical to Oysters has long been disputed, but it wonld seem from 

 recently published researches that the truth of the assertion has now been 

 proved. Dr. P. Schiemenz, in an illustrated article on the subject in the 



