debated, as well as such could be in the brief space of time allowed for so doing, that it was pronounced to be a serpent by all who saw it, and who are too well accustomed to judge of lengths and breadths of objects in the sea to mistake a real substance and an actual living body, coolly and dispassionately contemplated, at so short a distance too, for the eddy caused by the action of the deeper immersed fins and tail of a rapidly-moving gigantic seal raising its head above the surface of the water,' as Professor Owen imagines, in quest of its lost iceberg.

"The creative powers of the human mind may be very limited. On this occasion they were not called into requisition, my purpose and desire being, throughout, to furnish eminent naturalists, such as the learned Professor, with accurate facts, and not with exaggerated representations, nor with what could by any possibility proceed from optical illusion; and I beg to assure him that old Pontoppidan having clothed his sea-serpent with a mane could not have suggested the idea of ornamenting the creature seen from the Dædalus with a similar appendage, for the simple reason that I had never seen his account, or even heard of his sea-serpent, until my arrival in London. Some other solution must therefore be found for the very remarkable coincidence between us in that particular, in order to unravel the mystery.

Finally, I deny the existence of excitement or the possibility of optical illusion. I adhere to the statements, as to form, colour and dimensions, contained in my official report to the Admiralty, and I leave them as data whereupon the learned and scientific may exercise the 'pleasures of imagination' until some more fortunate opportunity shall occur of making a closer acquaintance with the 'great unknown '—in the present instance most assuredly no ghost. P. M'QUÍÆ, late Captain of Her Majesty's ship Dædalus."-Times,' November 21, 1848.

Peculiarity in the Eyes of Frogs.-When lately examining a specimen of the edible frog, I unintentionally touched one of his eyes, on which he immediately closed that eye, and very soon afterwards the other, and drew them into his head until they were perfectly on a level with its surface: after the lapse of half a minute he slowly opened and projected one eye, and then the other, until both had assumed their ordinary projecting appearance: on repeating the experiment I found that he could withdraw or project them at pleasure, after the manner of a snail's horns, although of course the operation is a much less observable one. I am not certain that the other British frog has the same power, but I think it extremely improbable that a discrepancy in such a character should exist between two species so closely allied.-Edward Newman.

Capture of an enormous Trout at Drayton Manor.-A trout weighing upwards of 21 fbs., and measuring 41 inches in length, was taken, on the 4th of November, in a small tributary of the Trent, on the property of Sir Robert Peel, at Drayton Manor. It was transmitted to London by Sir Robert, and a faithful portrait of the fish has been painted for the honorable baronet by Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins.-Edward Newman.

Occurrence of a New British Crab (Dromia vulgaris) on the Coast of Sussex.-As many as nine full-sized specimens of this remarkable crab have been dredged by fishermen on the coast of Sussex: the first of these was noticed by Mr. George Ingall, through whose kindness I had the opportunity of showing it to Mr. Bell, who immediately recognised it as a Dromia. Mr. White, of the British Museum, informs me that it is the Dromia vulgaris of Milne-Edwards (Crust. ii. 173, pl. 21, fig. 5). It is described in Cuvier's Règne Animal' (iv. 69) as the type of Dromia, and Rumph (Mus. xi. 1) and Herbst (xviii. 103) are referred to. It is the Cancer dormia of Linneus; the name of dormia perhaps referring to its extremely sedentary and lethargic habits: in this respect it is so remarkable that the carapace is often completely covered with sponges and other marine productions that have attached themselves, and these sometimes inclose the two smaller pairs of legs which are placed on the back of the carapace. This crab is said to be found in the seas of all temperate and tropical regions:

the carapace is clothed with a uniform brown velvet down, and the legs, especially the larger or anterior pair, are covered with long hair, except the claws, which are perfectly smooth and polished, of a beautiful rose-colour, and strongly toothed. I much regret that I have had no practice in describing Crustacea, and am therefore at present unable to furnish its technical characters with any degree of precision; but I have made a rough drawing of a specimen of the average size, which will give a tolerably correct idea of its general appearance. The first specimen was taken near Beachy Head: others have been taken off Hastings; and Mr. Bell informs me he has since received others from near Worthing.-Edward Newman; October 20, 1848.

Suggestions for obtaining Crustacea.-The 'Zoologist' opened its pages for remarks upon the species of every department of the animal kingdom. A glance, however, at the contents of almost any one of its numbers, will show that the space occupied severally by these departments is varied, and bears no due proportion to the number or interest of the beings that fill the different classes. It appears, then, from the correspondents of the Editor, that the quadrupeds have barely had their due in this respect, the birds perhaps their fair proportion,-while the insects of Britain have caused more communications, if not occupied more space, than all that has been written in the 'Zoologist' of other animals. There is one division which seems to have been almost entirely neglected—the Crustacean. The remarks on the members of this department are few and far between. To say they are less beautiful when seen, or less interesting when observed by the eye of the naturalist, than any other objects of his research, is not correct, and must not be sustained as a sufficient answer for the paucity of the remarks regarding them that have hitherto appeared in the 'Zoologist.' Two better-founded reasons may be assigned, viz., the difficulty of obtaining any variety of the species, and the absence of any modern systematic guide illustrating and determining the British Crustacea. The latter of these two reasons is now, and has been for the last four years, in the course of being remedied by the publication of the admirable History' by Professor Bell, with which the great fault that is to be found is the provoking time it is taking to drag its slow length out of the printer's hands. The following are the dates of its publication as given on the wrappers of the different numbers: No. 1, on October 1, 1844; No. 2, December do.; No. 3, May do. (but surely 1845); No. 4, January 1, 1846; No. 5, January 1, 1847; and No. 6, January 1, 1848; being four years in issuing six numbers-not 300 pages in all. Why is this, when Forbes and Hanley's coloured work on the Mollusca of Britain, by the same publisher, has reached the ninth number since the present year began? But still the 'History of the British Crustacea' is in progress, and many a reader of the Zoologist' may have got its six numbers, or may live to see the work completed. Yet they may exclaim, "Well, we have got the book, but how are the animals, of which it treats so well, to be laid hold of? 'Call spirits from the vasty deep, but will they come?"" A dredge! "Oh! a dredge requires a yacht, or at least a boat, &c., &c. Moreover, were these in possession, the waves of the briny deep are apt to cause such unpleasant antiperistaltic' motions, that the Portunus depurtator, &c., would far more likely have a dinner than death from our attempts to dredge them from their submarine retreats." But the sea shore ! “Well, a little may be done in that way; but by those only who live near it, as many years may be spent before a tolerable collection could be formed from among the rejectamenta of the sea.” Let all this be granted. There yet remains another source from which many good specimens and a great variety of Crustaceans may be readily got, viz., from the stomachs of fish-particularly of the cod; and these can be obtained by many who reside at a distance from the shore. By a small douceur to the fisherman's family, and by the assistance of the fish-curer on the coast, the fishmonger of the large town, or of some acquaintance in the fishing village, it is believed that almost any number of these now useless receptacles could be obtained. It may excite at first a little nausea to open up and examine these omnivorous reservoirs, but this will soon pass off; and were it of longer continuance than it is, the stores to be unfolded would amply compensate for all the disagreeable feeling that may for a time arise. It is not only

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the Crustacean that is thus gathered from the inaccessible depths of the ocean, but often the rare shell, with its still rarer inhabitant. The radiated animal and the curious zoophyte will also be found congregated together there; all of them no doubt at times mutilated or partly digested, but not unfrequently fresh and complete, as if newly past the voracious jaws.

Through the agency of Widow Scott and her son John, of the fishing village of Stotfield, some stomachs, chiefly of the cod-fish, were procured and examined last winter and spring, fully eight miles inland from the southern shores of the Moray firth, and the following species, of those as yet published in Bell's 'Crustacea,' were identified as denizens of this arm of the German Ocean.

Long-legged Spider Crab (Bell's Hist. p. 2). Three specimens.
Slender Spider Crab (p. 6).

the species.

Two specimens, mutilated, but enough left to show

One specimen, imperfect; but the four small cha

Scorpion Spider Crab (p. 13). racteristic tubercles distinct on the carapace.

Inachus Dorynchus (p. 16). One-specimen.

Slender-legged Spider Crab (p. 18). Five specimens of this very rare Crustacean, some of them perfect, others without the full complement of legs; but the carapace whole in all the five.

Hyas araneus (p. 31). Many specimens of this crab have been found. Six of them were taken from two ordinary-sized stomachs, and measured from 1 to 2 inches long. Another, 3 inches long by 24 broad, was found on the shore of the Moray firth, near Stotfield. It seems to be a Crustacean as often preyed upon by the fish of the firth as any other, perhaps more so, judging from its frequent appearance in the stomachs hitherto examined in this district.

Hyas coarctatus (p. 35). Although not so often met with as the preceding, yet by Two very small, probably young, specimens have also been taken and

no means rare.

preserved.

Cancer Pagurus, "the parten" (p. 59), and Carcinas Mœnas, "the crab” (p. 76), are far more seldom met with in the stomachs of fish than their numbers along the shores of the firth would lead one to expect. This may be owing to their living nearer land than the feeding-ground of the fish.

Portumnus variegatus. Several rather bleached specimens were last month picked up on the shore near the Covesea lighthouse.

Portunus. At least two species of this genus have been collected. They form a considerable portion of the contents of some stomachs.

Pennant's Ibalia (p. 141). Two specimens of this most beautiful species; one of them complete.

Circular Crab (p. 153). By no means rare. As often found in the stomachs hitherto examined as any other species, excepting Hyas araneus.

Pagurus Bernhardus (p. 171). In great abundance and variety, as to size, among rocks within tide-mark.

Minute Porcelain Crab (p. 193). Found at times very plentiful, both in the stomachs of cod and haddock, and also among the roots of the larger Fuci on the shore, and on the rocks called 'Haliman's skerries.'

Galathea. At least two species of this genus have been found.

Munida. Some years ago a long-armed Munida, if recollection serves aright, was obtained from the roots of Fuci lying on the shore, and sent to Professor Bell.

Homarus vulgaris (p. 242). The lobster, owing to the perseverance with which it is now fished for, is not so often met with as formerly on the Moray firth.

Norway Lobster (p. 251). Twice was this elegant species found; or, rather, part of one specimen on the first occasion, in the shape of its two handsome fore-legs; and, some weeks afterwards, six or seven specimens, some of them entire.

For the short time that has been spent in the search, the above list of species may be regarded as no mean beginning—particularly when they are all from a part of the coast, of which few or no other species but the hermit and common crabs, the “parten" and the lobster, were formerly known to be denizens. In the study of Botany, the distribution and exchange of specimens have been carried to a great extent and with the happiest result. Why has not the same plan been adopted in Zoology? Let this be tried with the Crustaceans; and this little-known but interesting class will by-andby obtain and hold their due place and portion in the pages of the 'Zoologist.' The Norway lobster would be exchanged for a cray-fish of the South; the Portumnus of the Pentland firth would take the place in the cabinet of the duplicates gathered in Mount's Bay. New forms and species would be detected; and thus a more correct and intimate acquaintance with these animals would be gained than what now obtains generally among naturalists.-G. Gordon; Birnie, by Elgin, N. B., October 10, 1848.

On the Sense of Touch in Spiders.—Whether the spider is informed of the capture of an insect by the sense of touch or by that of sight has been somewhat disputed. The following circumstances, which I have repeatedly observed during the present month, tend, I think, to prove that it mainly relies upon the former. When a large insect is captured, the spider usually goes directly to the attack; but when a minute insect falls into the net of an Epeira, she seems to be at first in doubt as to its position, and applies her feet successively to different radii of the net to determine its direction. It is worthy of notice that this examination is made with more care in windy weather, when the spider seems evidently to discriminate by touch whether the vibration she perceives is caused by the wind or by a captured insect.-J. W. Slater; Fairfield, October, 1848.

Capture of Lepidoptera near Northfleet, Kent.-The following list contains a few of my best captures this season, in this district, which may some day be of service to entomologists.

Lithosia aureola.

Swanscombe Wood.

Twenty-four specimens, on the tops of young oaks, May,

Agrotis corticea. One, on sugar, July, Northfleet.

Agrotis fumosa. Six, on sugar, July and August, Northfleet.

Agrotis nigricans var. ruris. Two, on sugar, July and August, Northfleet.

Agrotis tritici. Six, on sugar, July and August, Northfleet.

Agrotis aquilina. Four, on sugar, July and August, Northfleet.