NOTES AND QUERIES. 421 



approach these rodents. Mice it would swallow at once, and at any time of 

 the day. This specimen was captured one evening in the heart of Pretoria, 

 where it had flown against the telegraph-wires, and had fallen to the 

 ground. When disturbed it uttered the clacking noise well described above 

 by Mr. Haagner. I shot many specimens by daylight. They are artful, 

 cowardly birds, running, or rather slinking, among the herbage before taking 

 flight, and have to be followed down. In the pursuit of this bird, I felt like 

 running down a thief who always tried to hide.— Ed.] 



REPTILIA. 



The Cape Monitor: Correction. — With reference to the remarks of 

 the Editor of this magazine at the foot of my note on this animal (ante, 

 p. 226), and to those of Mr. Charles Tanner (ante, p. 272), I find I was 

 guilty of an error. The fact is, I wrote albigularis by mistake, and only 

 after perusing the first mentioned remarks did I become aware of my error. 

 Carefully examining the reptiles, I found that they belonged to the species 

 V. niloticus. This is a certainty, as, in addition to the other points of dis- 

 tinction, the nostril is situated midway between the tip of the snout and 

 eye, rather nearer the eye. With reference to my other remarks concerning 

 the creature's habits in captivity, I can only repeat what I have said, 

 having carefully verified my statements. — Alwin C. Haagner (Modder- 

 fontein, Transvaal). 



PISCES. 



Pelamid in Cornwall. — On Aug. 17th I captured, in Helford River, a 

 Pelamid, or Belted Bonito, Pelamys sarda (Day). This specimen (a male) 

 measures 19£ in. long, and weighed 3£ lb. It has only five broad vertical 

 bars on the back, not thirteen, as figured by Day. The narrow oblique 

 stripes, however, correspond with Day's figure, and are ten in number. The 

 stomach was empty, except for a few pieces of vertebral column of some 

 small fish, apparently Pilchard. My specimen is being preserved by the 

 Marine Biological Society at Plymouth. Day says of this fish that "it is 

 abundantly spread throughout the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, and 

 also through the Atlantic Ocean"; so it seems curious that it should not 

 occur more frequently on our coasts. — H. Leyborne Popham (R. Western 

 Yacht Club, Plymouth). 



INSECTA. 



Great Wood-boring Wasp (Sirex gigas) in Ireland.— It may interest 

 Mr. Pentland (cf. ante, p. 184) and others to know that a gamekeeper 

 obtained two Great Wood-boring Wasps (Sirex gigas) last summer in 

 Co. Down, and that I was given another specimen from the same county. 



