95 
of Edinburgh, Session 1872-73. 
specimens of natural history of almost any kind in Old Calabar ; 
and one in particular depends on the fact, that the natives eat at 
once all they can capture, and are most unwilling to give them up 
for any other than their own gastronomic purposes. 
The fishes of this genus Synodontis, aud the allied genera, are 
interesting to the geologist from their possessing dermal bony 
plates, and also these strong bony fin-spines, which are analogous 
in character to some of those in the fossil fishes, and to the 
iclitliyodorulites , or fin spines, which are found fossil in many of 
our older rocks. 
These bony spines are useful to the fish as weapons both of 
offence and defence, and require a very careful handling of some of 
the species, which grow to a considerable size, as they sometimes 
inflict serious wounds, which are said to be poisonous, even in some 
cases causing death. Dr Robb says, the dangerous character of 
the fish of this genus is well known to the Old Calabar natives, as 
well as, doubtless, to some of the animals which prey upon fish. 
Crocodiles are abundant in the river, and in some instances 
make a seizure of one of these fishes with the large bony spines, 
and cases have occurred of a crocodile being found dead with the 
spiny fish sticking in its mouth or throat. This circumstance has 
probably given rise to an Efik proverb well known among tbe 
people, to this effect, — “When the Crocodile is lucky, he catches 
Inanga ” (the spineless cat fish) ; “ when unlucky, he catches Mkpi- 
kuk-i-kuk ” (the native name for this spiny fish or synodontis ), the 
etymology of which, Dr Robb tells me, is not very obvious. The 
proverb, indeed, wonderfully resembles our own common saying 
about “catching a Tartar,” and is frequently used by them in its 
more general application, as among ourselves. 
2. The Electrical Conductivity of certain Saline Solutions, - 
with a note on their Density. By J. A. Ewing and J . 
G. MacGregor, B.A. Communicated by Professor Tait. 
(A bstract ). 
In the note on the density of the solutions prepared for the pur- 
pose of determining their electrical conductivity, it is shown that the 
ratio of the weight of salt dissolved in unit weight of water to the 
N 
. VOL. VIII. 
