GRAVES—ON FLYING FISH OFF THE COAST OF IRELAND. 169 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1867. 
Rosert Cattwet1, M. R.I. A., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
Tue following letter from A. E. Graves, Esq., was read :— 
‘¢ScHooneR YAcut, ‘ [exNE,’ 
“* Dunmore Last, 29th Aug., 1867. 
‘‘Srr,—I think it worth writing you a line, to state that on last 
Thursday, while on our passage to Queenstown, and not far from 
Ballycotton Island, we saw distinctly about one dozen flying-fish rise - 
out of the sea and fly across our bows to windward, and almost at once 
afterwards about eight more of these beautiful little fish rose and 
followed the others in their flight. I have frequently seen such a 
sight in the tropics, but I never before either heard of or saw flying 
fish in British waters. —A few weeks previously, when off Cape Clear, 
on our way from Bantry Bay, we saw three large tropical sharks 
close to the yacht. They were all apparently full-grown, and on the 
top of the water. If you have received any similar reports from 
other parts of our coasts, it may be worth your trying to ascertain 
whether the temperature of the sea around our shores has been higher 
than usual during the present summer.—I may, perhaps, also remark 
that in several months’ cruising this season we have seen very few por- 
poises. This statement was confirmed lately by an experienced captain 
of a Channel steamer, to whom I spoke on the subject. 
‘Tam, Sir, yours, very truly, 
‘‘A. EK. Graves. 
‘* To the Secretary ofthe Natural History Society 
of Dublin.” 
Mr. Good observed that he was able to confirm Mr. Graves’s state- 
ment as to the occurrence of flying fish on the south coast of Ireland; 
for, so far back as 1848, on a voyage from Cork to Dublin, two speci- 
mens flew on board the vessel, and were picked up by the sailors. 
Dr. Robert M‘Donnell exhibited a common barndoor hen, which, 
upon the evidence of trustworthy informants who had forwarded the 
bird to him, was said to have undergone a remarkable change of colour, 
almost from black to white, in a few days’ time, without moulting. The 
hen, a bird two and a half years old, was the property of Mr. Morris, 
of Drogheda, and had been observed on the 1st October to be of a lighter 
colour than before. The back and breast first became white, the next 
night the head and tail, and, lastly, the wings, except the pen feathers, 
the whole change occupying about four days. 
A conversation then followed, in which several members took part. 
Mr. R. P. Williams, upon examining the bird now exhibited, was 
of opinion that the feathers never had been dark, and that hence 
there must have been some error, and he felt altogether sceptical in 
