NOTES AND QUERIES. 355 



Southwell, who saw it in Eoberts, the staffer's hands, was not satisfied 

 with my finding, the lengthened first dorsal fin attracting his atten- 

 tion ; and a photograph taken of the fish immediately it came into my 

 hands still further convinced him it was not Auxis. The Bonito was 

 finally sent to Mr. Boulenger, of the British Museum, who wrote 

 Mr. Southwell to the effect that " The fish ... is a most interesting 

 addition to the British fauna — Scomber thunnina, Cuv. (or Euthynmts 

 alleteratus, Raf.j. It is a pelagic fish of almost world-wide distribution, 

 which has been taken several times on the coast of Scandinavia, but 

 never on our coast so far as I am aware without making a search in 

 the bibliography." Every credit is due to Mr. Southwell for the 

 pains he has taken with this wanderer, and but for whose keen per- 

 ception its identity might for long have been undetected. — Arthur H. 

 Patterson (Ibis House, Great Yarmouth). 



Loch Broom Sea Monster. — On seeing an account in the daily 

 papers of a strange monster observed outside Loch Broom by the 

 excise officers, I wrote off to one of them whom I happen to know for 

 the particulars of the adventure, and, as will be seen by his letter 

 given below, I was rather fortunate, as my friend, who is a keen 

 naturalist, taking a special interest in the birds and beasts of his 

 district, was in the boat at the time they came on this strange creature, 

 which was at first thought to be a Basking Shark ; but on looking up 

 the description of the Basking Shark, it would seem from the account 

 that the Loch Broom monster was much longer than the usual length 

 attained by this species. I would be glad to hear of further notes 

 on this creature, as it seems to have appeared further south. The 

 following is Mr. Henderson's letter. — W. H. Workman (Lismore, 

 Belfast). 



In reply to yours of the 15th inst., I am in a position to state that 

 I saw the fish or monster in question. On August 24th, while cruising 

 between the Priest Island and Glostloch Beg, the fish rose to the 

 surface of the water about eight hundred yards from us. It was then 

 going at right angles to us, but on my shooting at it, it came towards 

 our boat, and only went under when fired at within eighty yards off 

 our boat. I believe it was hit at least twice by Mr. Coffey and myself. 

 I am giving you a roughly drawn sketch of it by myself. It, however, 

 gives but a very poor idea as to the length of the fish as seen. It 

 would measure anything between fifty and sixty feet. Its dorsal fin 

 would be five feet high and four feet wide at base. Its caudal fin 

 was a good deal smaller, bending backward, and more pointed. Its 

 colour was black. Its head never appeared above the surface ; and it 



