X 
c: traction is fully realised. It made one shudder as I 
“ contemplated the jaws of this brute, which after all, is 
“ only a very small one compared with many that have 
“ been caught, varying from 30 to 35 feet.” 
There is in the Museum of Natural History, at Paris, 
the specimen of a shark ( Squat us maximus) 3.2 feet long. 
Col. Pike also gave a description of anoth r shark, the 
Hammer Head, Zygatna malleus , rather scarce on our 
shores and which is said to be the most ferocious of all. 
A fourth was that known to fishermen ns the Requin ma- 
lais. Notidanus Indicus ? And the last was one called 
Requin pave, which the Col. believes to be a species of the 
genus Mustelus. 
Col. Pike’s descriptions of these large fishes which he 
has had the opportunity of studying so closely, are likely 
to throw some light on the organisation of these marine 
monsters, which our former colleagues Lienard and Des- 
jardins had not had the leisure to study, and of which the 
descriptions were made in Europe, mostly from badly pre- 
pared specimens or such as had suffered from the influence 
of time. 
Mr V. de Robillard, following up his favorite study with 
a perseverance which neither years nor reverses have been 
able to diminish, has made us acquainted with some new 
couchological treasures of the inexhaustible Darkly isle 1 . 
The greater part of the molluslcs belong to species which 
are rarely found, except in certain dependencies of Mau- 
ritius, or some other parts aS Philippine Islands, and it 
is not without surprise that they are seen on this islet 
only, when they have never been seen on the mainland 
of Mauritius itself. 
He also presented drawings of shells belonging to the 
genus Ovula fouud attached to a marine plant at a depth 
of 80 fathoms and caught by a fisherman, 'flic specimen 
was sent to London for identification. 
