Mollusks. 833 



Occurrence of the Saury Pike near Yarmouth. A specimen of the saury pike, or 

 skipper, measuring about fifteen inches in length, was taken off the coast of Norfolk 

 about the end of October, 1843. — William R. Fisher; 13, Graifs Inn Square, No- 

 vember 18, 1844. 



Occurrence of rare Fishes at Redcar, Yorkshire. I send two notes of the occur- 

 rence of rare fishes at this place this autumn, for insertion in ' The Zoologist.' A 

 fine specimen of the short sun fish ; length, two feet eight inches, depth, including 

 dorsal and anal fins, three feet six inches, and weighing seventy-three pounds, was 

 found on the beach at this place on the 11th instant. Ray's bream — Three fine exam- 

 ples of this fish have also been found on our beach this autumn. — T. S. Rudd ; 

 Redcar, December 13, 1844. 



Note on the Gar Fish (Belone vulgaris of Cuvier). Within the last three weeks the 

 gar fish has been abundant on our shores. There is something curious and inexpli- 

 cable in the erratic visits of this little fish to our northern bays, as well as in its sui- 

 cidal propensity of running ashore, and yielding itself an easy prey, — rendering unne- 

 cessary the fisherman's art of net or bait. Its visits are not periodical, either as 

 regards the seasons or cycles. Twenty-two years have passed since they last appeared 

 in considerable numbers. About sixty years ago they landed in shoals, particularly 

 on the shore betwixt Campbelton and Fort George, in which locality they are called by 

 the country people Gobbaiche Ardnasoar, or snipe fish. We are ignorant as to the 

 habits of this fish, but from the length and structure of its mouth or snout, which 

 resembles the bill of a snipe, we may suppose that it has to search for its food among 

 the Alga of the dark unfathomed caves of ocean, or to explore the sands for lug. 

 Whether they come to our coasts in pursuit of food, or whether they are pursued by 

 some enemy is uncertain ; though the former supposition seems doubtful, from the 

 fact that, on examining the alimentary canal of six of these fishes, no vestige of food 

 was found in any of them. In all, the gall-bladder was very large, and much dis- 

 tended with their green bile. If this appearance is not anormal, it may possibly have 

 some connection with the green colour of the bones. Whatever may be the cause of 

 the migration, the natives are presented with an article of food which is much 

 esteemed on the coast of France, although with us prejudices exist against the green 

 bones. — Northern Herald, Inverness, November 22, 1844. 



Occurrence of Cyprcea moneta at the Land's End. I have been informed that seve- 

 ral specimens of Cypraea moneta, with the animal alive in the shell, have lately been 

 taken off the Land's End.— F. Holme ; C. C. C, Oxford, December 26, 1844. 



Carnivorous propensity of Snails. — One day last July, as I was walking near 

 Stirling, my attention was attracted by a large black snail, which was devouring an 

 earth-worm. When I first observed it, it had swallowed half of the worm, and it ate 

 a considerable piece more while I was watching it. — Chaloner Greville ; Islington, 

 December 30, 1844. 



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