NOTES AND QUERIES. 77 



CRUSTACEA. 



Large Edible Crab.— In 'The Zoologist ' (1912, p. 272) reference 

 is made to the weight to which the Edible Crab [Cancer pagurus) may 

 attain. The figures given seemed to be taken very much on hearsay 

 evidence, which is not always proof positive. When passing a local 

 picture dealer's shop a few days since, I saw mounted on a shield in 

 the window what I at first glance thought was a pair of small fallow- 

 deer's horns ! On a second look I found they were a pair of pincer- 

 claws of the Edible Crab, and was allowed to measure them. The 

 curving free chela was no less than 6 in. in length ; the girth of the 

 first section — the "hand" which contained the points — was 9 in. ; 

 and the probable length of the whole claw-leg, judging by the length 

 mounted, would have been quite 18 in. I was given to understand 

 the Crab was recently trawled up on the Portuguese coast. To 

 arrive at the probable weight, when alive and " full," I purchased an 

 8-oz. Scotch Crab, and, measuring it, found the free chela was 1| in., 

 with a girth of the corresponding end section of 3 in. The carapace 

 was 4§ in. wide by 3 in. across it, from the eyes to the back part. On 

 this scale the larger Crab's carapace must have been undoubtedly 

 quite 14 in. by 10 in. The entire Crab might have been 10 lb. or 

 more in weight ; my small and not very full specimen weighed half a 

 pound. I was told that the crew of nine hands sat down to the 

 banquet on board the trawler, unfortunately breaking the carapace in 

 the scramble. — Arthur H. Patterson (Ibis House, Yarmouth). 



PALEONTOLOGY. 

 A Surrey Hippopotamus. — In the course of a report of the Asylums 

 Committee to come before the London County Council at Tuesday's 

 meeting, a discovery made in a part of the estate of Cane Hill Asylum, 

 at Coulsdon, Surrey, is mentioned. The land at this spot is about 

 400 ft. above sea-level. In the course of the digging some bones were 

 discovered, and Sir James Moody, the Medical Superintendent of the 

 Asylum, having made an examination, was satisfied that they were of 

 great antiquity. He consulted Mr. Henry Dewey, of the Geological 

 Survey, and the authorities of the British Museum, and ascertained 

 that the discovery consisted of remains of the head of a Hippo- 

 potamus, and two pieces of an ivory tusk, probably that of a Mam- 

 moth. The fragments comprised portions from the head of the 

 Hippopotamus, with teeth in position in the jaw, the articulation of 

 the jaw-bones, two of the larger teeth, and one of the vertebrae. A 

 number of small parts of bone, so far, it had not been possible to 



