4830 Fishes. 



to conclude that there are both male and female now in the ponds.- 

 Perthshlre Courier, July 26, 1855.* 



Memorandum on Dr. Knox's papers in the last 'Zoologist? — Two notes were 

 appended to Dr. Knox's papers in the last number as the proofs passed through that 

 gentleman's hands. Both entirely escaped me until my attention was called to them 

 by correspondents. The first is at p. 4778, and relates to the supposed death of 

 M. Valenciennes. T have reason to hope that distinguished zoologist is still living and 

 in good health. The second is at p. 4798, and relates to myself: the conversation to 

 which the Doctor refers related to the experiments so often recorded of keeping tad- 

 poles in the dark, and thus prolonging their tadpole existence. — Edward Newman. 



Occurrence of the Spined Leach (Botia taenia) near Dorking. — I took this pretty 

 little fish about a fortnight ago in a little muddy stream that runs into the Mole just 

 below the Bridge at Brockham Lodge, the residence of my friend William Bennett, 

 whose hospitality I was enjoying. I was fishing for Hydradephaga, and, on seeing 

 the little creatures wriggling at the bottom of the net, I supposed the first and second 

 haul to be juvenile beardies, and threw them in accordingly ; but the uniformity 

 of size at last struck me, and this, inducing a closer inspection, oculis armatis, 

 i.e. having put on my specs, I found myself possessed of a fish whose personal 

 acquaintance I had not previously made. Mr. Yarrell says it is called " the 

 groundling;" but I certainly can scarcely suppose that it is known as distinct from 

 the beardie by any of those who apply English names, and I would rather believe 

 that the terms loach, stone loach, beardie and groundling apply equally to the larger 

 species. There is nothing by which this fish is likely to be distinguished from the 

 beardie, unless by the instructed eye of science, which imparts an interest and a value to 

 all that it beholds. It occurred in coarse grass floating over a muddy bottom at the 

 very edge of the stream, and the habitat did not extend above half a dozen yards'. 

 I may here remark that the undulating outline of the back, which gives so marked a 

 character to Mr. Yarrell's figure, was wholly unobservable in the living fish; and as 

 this character is not mentioned, I believe it possible that it may be due to the 

 process of preserving, through which the little fellow had doubtless passed before 

 sitting to the artist who has immortalized him in the ' British Fishes.' — Edward 

 Neivman. 



The Snake and Child Exhibition. — The Child Bitten Repeatedly, and the Father 

 Arrested. — Several hundred people visited Cochituate Hall yesterday afternoon, to 

 witness, it is hoped, the last exhibition of what have been falsely termed the " charmed 

 snake and child." Our readers may be assured that there is no " charming" or " fasci- 

 nation" whatever connected with the show ; but, on the contrary, the whole affair is a 

 gross attempt to deceive the public at the expense of merciless torture to a little girl of 

 tender years, who has been so often bitten by the reptile that the cruel and disgusting 

 exhibition is likely to be stopped. Yesterday afternoon the father was taken into 

 custody on complaint of Dr. I. W. Ayer, reporter for the Chronicle. — Evening Tran- 

 script, July 26, 1855. 



* Obligingly communicated by William Yarrell, Esq. 



