Reptiles.— Fishes. 4097 



peculiarity of the latter member, which, in the specimen above referred to, is very dis- 

 tiuctly half-webbed. — Arthur Hussey ; Rottingdean, October 8, 1853. 



Note on the Spawning of Frogs and Toads. — Whilst staying here in April last, I 

 noticed the following curious circumstance. I was walking along the bank of a small 

 fish-pond in the garden, which was swarming with frogs and toads busily engaged in 

 spawning, and was astonished to notice great numbers of them promiscuously in co- 

 pula. In every instance but one of those that came under my notice, the union was 

 between the male frog and the female toad, but in that one instance it was vice versd. 

 I have mentioned the circumstance to my friend Mr. Wolley, and other naturalists, 

 who have all agreed with me in considering it a singular fact, and worthy of record. 

 I have frequently watched these reptiles during the spawning season, but never before 

 noticed a similar occurrence. — H. Harpur Crewe ; Rossway, near Great Berkhamp- 

 stead, Herts, September 15, 1853. 



Note on Toads devouring Hive Bees. — T have read the account related at the last 

 meeting of the Entomological Society, of a nasty toad being caught on the alighting- 

 board of a hive of bees, and devouring them wholesale. Coming from so authenti- 

 cated a source, one cannot at all doubt the truth of it ; but I will venture to say, that 

 the hive in question must have been placed in a most awkward situation, against a 

 bank, or touching some rough wall. There is not a more unlikely reptile in existence 

 to be found crawling or climbing ; no careful bee-master allows his hives to be placed 

 so that such a clumsy creature as a toad, or even a hedgehog, could effect a lodgment 

 at the entrance, for neither of these animals could walk up the post or props of the 

 bee-hives or boxes. The story reminds me of a great man, of rather weak intellect, 

 who was travelling on horseback in hot weather, and said to his friend, — " How these 

 small flies annoy me by getting into my mouth and throat ! Do you find it so ? '* 

 " No," said his friend ; " I always keep my mouth shut." " Very true : so must I in 

 future." The toad and the hedgehog devour insects of various sorts. I suspect that 

 the hedgehog attacks wild bees' nests sometimes, as I saw one last summer and traced 

 his course to a moss-carders' nest, which I had examined the day before, and the next 

 day the little comb was gone, and the bees had deserted. A hedgehog got by chance 

 into a stone trough at my house : the trough was only about 10 inches deep, and yet 

 the animal could not climb up to get out, and was caught there. I believe a toad 

 would suffer in this way also : I never even saw a toad on the top of a low wall. — H. 

 W. Neivman ; New House, Stroud, October 10, 1853. 



Description of a Specimen of the Lesser Forked Beard (Raniceps 

 trifurcatus) ; with an Announcement of the Occurrence of that 

 and two other rare British Fishes at Weymouth. By Wm. 

 Thompson, Esq. 



In announcing the occurrence of that very rate fish, the lesser 

 forked beard {Raniceps trifurcatus, Flem., R. Jago, Flem. and Cuvier), 

 xi. 3 c 



