NOTES AND QUERIES. 29 



description of L. major " in having the white at the base of the secondaries 

 almost obsolete," are to be referred. In my specimens, careful search only 

 reveals a very little white next the shaft of the feathers at their extreme 

 bases. If my birds are not pure L. major, they must be intermediate 

 between that form and excubitor. And if it is really true that L. major 

 with white on the secondaries " almost obsolete," has a white rump and 

 upper tail coverts, then, surely, birds intermediate between this form aud 

 the pale-rumped excubitor ought not to have those parts darker than in the 

 latter, as they certainly have, if my birds are intermediate and not pure- 

 bred major, as I am inclined to believe them to be. On the other hand, 

 if these grey-rumped birds are intermediate, then, a fortiori, L. major 

 should have a grey and not a white rump. And if my birds are pure-bred 

 L. major, then this form has a grey rump. — 0. V. Aplin (Bloxham, Oxon). 



FISHES. 



Large Roach and Perch in the Hampshire Avon. — As I am informed 

 that Roach of 2 lbs. weight are rarely met with, I may note that last 

 October two were landed by a gentleman who was fishing in the Avon, 

 each of which weighed 2 lbs. At the same time (within a week) he also 

 caught a suberb Perch, weighing 3 J lbs., and a Pike 18J lbs. ; the latter, 

 of course, is nothing extraordinary, but, although I have recorded a Perch 

 of a similar weight (Zool. 1883, p. 471), yet this specimen was so 

 perfect in condition, form, colour, and markings, that it was the admiration 

 of all who saw it. A very finely-marked Trout, weighing 7 lbs., was also 

 caught in July last in the same water. Several fine Salmon were " brought 

 ashore " early in the season, but I believe there were oftener more rods plied 

 than fish to be caught, at least in the upper portions of the river. — G. B. 

 Corbin (Ringwood, Hants). 



CEPHALOPODA. 



Gigantic Squid on Achill Island.— Mr. J. R. Sheridan, of Dugort, 

 Achill Island, writes to the 'Mayo Examiner,' Nov. 9th: — On the little 

 strand at Dugort, in Achill Island, on the west coast of Mayo, now lie the 

 remains of one of the most curious animals perhaps to be met with in the 

 animal kingdom. It was stranded some months ago on one of the outlying 

 reefs at the entrance of Blacksod Bay, when the villagers took it to be the 

 carcase of a large Whale. It was afterwards carried on to the Achill strand 

 by the gale of the 4th October, which swept over the western ocean with 

 great fury. This large sea-monster is no doubt a gigantic Squid, and is of 

 such rare occurrence on our shores that it should not go unrecorded. To 

 what species it belonged will ever remain unknown, as it was too far gone 

 in decay for identification. The measurement of this curious monster 

 though shrunk and distorted, was as follows '.—Length of two long arms or 



