40 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



game-preserving so general. Only let the matter be carried on 

 with rather more discrimination and humanity, and every 

 naturalist will express his indebtedness to the system." The 

 system doubtless, on the whole, works for good, but the danger 

 is in the amount of ornithological intelligence of the " keeper," 

 and the restraining influence of his employer. The operations 

 of an ignorant and unchecked keeper, from the zoological point 

 of view, are often deplorable. 



In this book the general lover of birds will find much inter- 

 esting information. 



EDITOKIAL GLEANINGS. 



Flamingo in Langstone Harbour. — Mr. W. Kingdom-Murrill, 

 writing in the ' Shooting Times ' of December 20th, 1913, reports 

 that an adult Flamingo was shot in Langstone Harbour, near Ports- 

 mouth, on Wednesday, December 10th. Although the bird showed 

 no signs of captivity, naturally there is a doubt as to whether ib may 

 have been an escape, though there is nothing against the supposition 

 that the successive south-westerly gales may account for the appear- 

 ance of this southern species on our coast. It is, at any rate, the 

 first known example that has been recorded from Langstone Harbour ; 

 but in November, 1883, a similar adult specimen was obtained near 

 the Beaulieu Eiver, nor far distant. 



At the Quarterly Meeting of the Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries 

 Committee, held recently (1913) at the Fishmongers' Hall, London, 

 Dr. Murie reported that this season there had been very large quan- 

 tities of fish, called " Fenians," caught off Leigh and Southend. These 

 fish were like a small whitebait, and it appeared that they came 

 periodically when the wind and tide were under certain special 

 conditions. Mr. Hussey said that more Conger Eels had been 

 caught this season that he had ever known. Off Deal, a Mr. Olbey 

 had a large catch of Congers, nineteen of them weighing 316 lb. 

 The largest weighed 40 lb., others 37 lb., 36 lb., and down to 10 lb. 

 Off Dungeness, also, large quantities of Pilchards had been taken, 

 and this was exceptional. At Deal it appeared that the temperature 

 of the water was 3-1 higher than the average temperature in Novem- 

 ber for the last ten years. Several members also spoke of the fish 

 mentioned by Dr. Murie, and said there were millions of them off 

 the Kent coast. They were called " whiting pout " there. 



