82 The American Naturalist. [January, 
nocturnal in its habits, coming out, however, freely by night in the 
lighted rooms. ‘‘I have seen a dozen or more,” she says, ‘‘ at one 
time, remaining motionless for perhaps half an hour, when suddenly 
one, with a quick movement of one of its many legs, would catch an 
unwary house-fly that approached too near. Sometimes this would be 
eaten immediately, but sometimes held in the foot until two or three 
more flies were caught. I have seen the Cermatia thus eating one fly 
while holding two or three others. 
“ Only the soft part of the body of the fly is eaten, the legs, wings, 
and head dropping to the floor. In the morning the table and floor 
were always specked with these remains, showing that the Cermatia 
was a very successful fly-catcher.”’ 
I identified the form to which these remarks apply, by her minute 
description and by her subsequent recognition of a figure.—S. 
ForBEs, 
The Scottish Fishing Board.—Among the various papers in 
the report of this board, which in its functions corresponds with our 
Commission of Fish and Fisheries, we notice that it is advised, in order 
to restore the lobster fishery to its former condition, that the limit of 
size of lobsters permitted to be sold be raised from 8 to g inches in 
length, and it is also proposed to attempt artificial hatching of lobsters. 
The paper is by Prof. Ewart and Mr. T. W. Fulton. Mr. Thomas Scott 
catalogues 230 species of Crustacea as occurring in the Firth of Forth. 
Red codfish has been causing trouble in Scotland. Here it was be- 
lieved by Dr. Farlow to be caused by Clathrocystis rosea-persina, but, 
Dr. Edington, of the Scottish Board, ascribes it to Bacillus rubescens, 
also introduced with the salt. 
Coluber obsoletus Say.—A fine specimen of Coluber obsoletus 
Say was obtained on Snake Hill, near Newburgh, Orange county, New 
York, during the summer of 1888.—Joun I. NORTHROP. 
Hesperiphona vespertuca.—About noon, December 12, 1889, 
I procured a specimen of this rare bird. It was feeding on the seeds 
of a maple in front of the University buildings. The specimen is a 
male, and in fine plumage. It was apparently alone, as no others have 
been seen as yet. The only authority I find for its identification in 
Ohio is Ohio Geological Report, Vol. IV., by J. M. Wheaton, p. 314 
where he reports it was identified by Dr. Kirkland, March 24, 1860- 
The bird differs in a few details from most of the descriptions. A 
complete description will be given in next issue of Bulletin of Scien- 






