protect the fish from the heat of the sun. But one ought to remember that for the channels through which the piscina receives its water, brass gratings with narrow openings should be fixed, by which the escape of the fish may be prevented. If space permit, it will be advisable to place in different parts of the pond rocks from the shore clothed with sea-weed, and thus, so far as the ingenuity of man can contrive. to represent the actual appearance of the sea, in order that the confined fishes may be as little as possible aware of their imprisonment. In this way we shall lead the aquatic flock to their appointed stalls. Even in matters connected with water it may be well for us to remember the old precept connected with land questions, 'whatever each region may produce'; for we could not be able-however much we wished it-to feed in a vivarium a multitude of red mullet-as we sometimes have seen in the sea-because this kind is very delicate and impatient of captivity. Rarely indeed, but one or two out of many thousands endures confinement; but on the other hand, we frequently witness within the barriers marine shoals of the sluggish grey-mullet and the rapacious basse. Therefore, as I had proposed, let us consider the nature of our shore; and if we see it to be rocky, let us approve (and make our stew rocky). Many kinds of turdi, merulæ, and greedy mustele, also the spotless lupi let us introduce into the pond; other rock-loving fishes, if they are of any value, may be introduced, for the worthless host it does not pay to capture, let alone to feed. "Those kinds which belong to a sandy shore may be kept in the stews; but shores which are full of slime and mud are, as I said before, better suited for shellfish and creatures which lie on the bottom. A site of a store-pond which suits flat fishes may not suit other kinds; the same kind of food may not do for flat fishes and for those that swim erect; for soles, turbots, and such like animals, a shallow depression of two feet is made in that part of the shore which is never left by the retreating tide. Then many closely-placed bars are placed on the sides (of the ponds) which are always high above the sea-water even when the waves swell. By and by embankments (moles) are thrown up around, so as to form an enclosure and rise above the height of the pond, for by this means the fury of the sea is broken by the base of the embankment, and the fish in calm water are not disturbed from their places, and the pond is not filled by a heap of sea-weed cast up in storms by the force of the sea. In some places also it will be necessary to interject earthworks of a meandering form with small and narrow passages, which will admit of the sea-water without the waves at the most tempestuous times.

"Flat fish require softer food than those which dwell near the rocks, because they are either without teeth, or lick their food or swallow it entire, but cannot chew it. Therefore you should offer them dripping halec, bits of salt chalcis, putrid sardine, the gills of scari, or any part of the intestines of the pelamis or lacertus, the bellies of mackerel, dog fish, and elacatec, and not to mention full particulars, all the salted refuse swept from the fishmongers' shops.

"We have mentioned many kinds, not because all may be had from all shores, but in order that out of these, we may offer some which you may obtain. It answers also to give them green figs which have been opened, and the mild arbutefruit broken by the fingers, and the soft crushed fruit of the service tree (Pyrus

[sorbus] domestica), as well as such food as is readily sucked in, as curd, fresh from the dairy pail, if the situation of the place and the year's produce permit. You can, however, give them no better food than the before-mentioned salt fish, because it has a strong odour, and every kind of flat fish finds out its food rather by the nostrils than by the eyes, for whilst it always rests supine it looks upwards and therefore does not easily perceive what is flat on the ground either on the right or left side; therefore when salt food is thrown to them they come to it, being guided by the smell. Other fish, 'however, whether rock fish or deep water fish, are better fed with fresh fish, though they will do with salt. For both the halecula newly captured and the cantharus and the little goby, and in fine every kind of little fish, nourish the big ones. But if the severity of the winter does not permit this kind of food to be given, then stale bread crumbs or any chopped up fruit in season are offered them. Dried figs are a staple fish-food (semper objicitur) and always given, especially the large kinds such as Bætic or Numidian. But that must not be done, which many people do, namely, give the fish nothing at all, simply because when confined they are able to sustain themselves for a long time, for unless the fish is fattened with food supplied by its master, when it is brought to the fish market, its leanness shows that it was not taken from the open sea, but from confinement, on which account it loses much of its value.' -Columella viii. 17.

ON SOME SO-CALLED FISH-EATING BIRDS AT THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES EXHIBITION.

By E. CAMBRIDGE PHILLIPS, F.L.S., &c., &c.

THE extraordinary and almost un-looked for success which has attended the Fisheries Exhibition, and the enormous numbers of the people of all classes that have up to the present time visited it, must open our eyes to the fact that science is at length steadily and surely working its way among the masses, who have been only too anxious to enjoy that practically scientific treat which the International Fisheries Exhibition has been and is still affording them.

Among the various collections exhibited, those of the British piscivorous and non-piscivorous birds particularly attracted my attention, and suggested the remarks which follow, and which are here offered in the hope that they will help to remove some of the misapprehension which prevails concerning the food of our aquatic birds. This seems the more desirable since most of the birds which are exhibited have been seen by thousands for the first time; I allude particularly to those of the working classes who have thronged the Exhibition.

Let me therefore first notice as briefly as possible those fish-eating birds about whose scaly diet there is no possible doubt; and secondly, more fully, those birds which, though exhibited as "fish-eating birds" are not in my humble opinion of piscivorous habits, and which for this reason ought not to have been exhibited with the others. Among the fish-eating birds, properly so-called, are some exceedingly good specimens of the Fish Hawk or Osprey (Pandion haliaëtus). Herons in numbers, two of which I noticed stuffed as if killed by an eel tightly twisted in a knot round the neckk—an apt illustration of the biter bit. Kingfishers in abundance seemed to have more attractions for most people than any other bird in the collection. A Night Heron is labelled in the catalogue as "very rare," although a White Stork, Egret, and Spoonbill seem not to have been deemed worthy of such distinction.

An excellent collection of Gulls, Grebes, and Divers (in many instances beautifully preserved and set up, especially the young of the common coot) is especially worthy of notice. Why the Darter (Plotus anhinga) should have been exhibited in a British collection I am at a loss to imagine, it being a native of America which has never yet found its way to this country. Perhaps one of the most striking cases in the Exhibition is a pair of Lesser Terns (Sterna minuta), beautifully stuffed by Mr. T. E. Gunn, of Norwich, one bird hovering over its eggs in the sand, arranged correctly in their so-called nest with the four ends pointed together, the other bird dead by its nest with the blood on its breast, having evidently been shot, affording an admirable illustration of the necessity of protecting by legislation our sea-birds during the breeding season, the Cormorant and Great Black-backed Gull perhaps alone excepted. Passing by numerous waders which are classed as fish-eating birds" such as the Greenshank, Redshank, Godwit, Stints, and Plovers of various kinds, but which properly speaking can hardly be so designated, though I may give them the benefit of the doubt,

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since on the sea-shore their food probably consists of mollusks, worms, and smaller crustacea left on the edge of the retreating waves, I now come to those birds which, I think, have no claim whatever to be regarded as fish-eaters.

First is our old friend the Water Ouzel or Dipper (Cinclus aquaticus), the cheeriest of all our water-birds, but which not being well stuffed looks very unlike the burly little bird, with the white breast always turned towards us, that we meet on all our Welsh streams. The late Frank Buckland could not bring home the charge of fish-eating to this bird, although he tried hard to do so. I myself, after much observation, have never yet seen it with any spawn in its mouth, and have come to the conclusion that its food consists chiefly of aquatic insects and small mollusca, in which view I am supported by many ornithologists. We have then the Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) that semi-domesticated bird that we are all so familiar with; although it is usually found on lakes, ponds, still flowing rivers, and canals permanently, yet I have often seen it frequent ponds in which there were not, nor ever had been any fish. There can be I think no doubt that it feeds on the seeds of various aquatic plants, and on snails, worms, and beetles, together with corn or other grain when it gets a chance. Hearing the remark, "Here is a rum little fellow," I looked up and saw a good specimen of the spotted Crake (Crex porzana), a hen bird, with the customary red eyes inserted by the birdstuffer. Where taxidermists got this idea I do not know, the eye of a living spotted Crake which I had in my hand was a beautiful olive-green, and exactly matched the colour of its legs and feet. In Wales this beautiful little bird is usually found in bogs, especially where intersected by a small warm stream. I have moved six one day in a spot like this, where no fish could possibly be, but have never seen one on an open brook. The food of this bird consists probably of the more minute aquatic insects, something like the Moorhen, which it much resembles in shape. I do not think, however that it ever touches grain, the places which it frequents being far enough away from all kinds of corn. The Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) in its habits resembles the two preceding species, except that it is found in such strangely different localities. I have flushed it on the banks of a large lake, often in a brook, sometimes in a dry grass field, as well as in an open lane, but have never seen it or the Moorhen on hill bogs. I imagine that its food is much like that of the Moorhen, though, from it constantly shifting its quarters, it may be possibly more varied. It however, never feeds on the water swimming like that bird, but may be sometimes seen feeding along the edge. Both this and the Spotted Crake are such extremely shy birds that it is difficult to observe their movements except at brief intervals.

The last bird I have on my list is the Grey Wagtail (Motacilla suphurea), I need hardly say that it chiefly feeds on flies and perhaps occasionally aquatic insects; but if it ever should catch a tiny fish, which I doubt, why are not all the other Wagtails included in the collection, their food and habits being so very similar? Had the Dipper, the Moorhen, the Spotted Crake, the Water Rail, and the Grey Wagtail been separately exhibited as aquatic birds, no exception could have been taken; but to include them amongst such as feed exclusively on fish is, to say the least of it, misleading.

NOTES ON SOME SPECIES OF TRICHOLOMA NOT EASILY DISTINGUISHED FROM EACH

OTHER.

By the Rev. Canon DU PORT, M.A.

WHEN one has found specimens of species somewhat similar in appearance to some others, it is not always easy with no other help than that of descriptions, however accurate these may be, to assign to a specimen its specific name, but when one sees specimens of all the allied species, then the salient points in the descriptions of each stand out quite clearly and one wonders how one can have ever doubted before.

I was fortunate enough last year to meet with some six or seven species of Tricholoma about each of which I had previously had doubts as to which species each particular specimen was to be referred. Though such doubts may never have troubled the more experienced mycologists in whose presence I am speaking, perhaps it may interest even them to hear detailed some of the marked characteristics of plants in which they cannot but be interested; and they may too, most probably, be able to correct any erroneous statements that I may make.

These species are Agaricus flavobrunneus, A. albobrunneus, A. ustalis, A. pessundatus, A. stans, A. imbricatus, and A. vaccinus. The last two, A. imbricatus, Fr., and A. vaccinus, Pers., stand out conspicuously from the others in that they are never viscid. This most important feature is sometimes overlooked, and a beginner does not always readily distinguish between a viscid pileus become dry, and a dry pileus wetted with rain or mist. The dry pileus however never has bits of grass or fragments of earth really sticking to it, and the viscid pileus is very seldom found without some foreign substance attached to it.

Ag. vaccinus, Pers. (the colour of what in Norfolk we call a red cow-a sort of brownish red) differs very widely from Ag. imbricatus: it is a much more slender plant; the whole pileus, disc and all, is floccose, and it is very much redder : its stem is hollow, while that of Ag. imbricatus, Fr., is solid. The stem of this latter, however, varies much in different specimens. Fries says from 1-2 inches in some specimens, to 3 inches in others.

Ag. albobrunneus, Pers., is not in the least like Ag. vaccinus, and though it may at first sight be mistaken for Ag. imbricatus, its viscid pileus with leaves, pieces of straw, or grass always sticking to it at once distinguishes it from its very dry relation; the streaks on the pileus of Ag. albobrunneus are innate, while the other plant is torn into small scales in all parts but the disc. The smell can be no safe guide in this case for Fries says of it "odore nullo," while Secretan (in describing what Mr. Berkeley considers to be this plant under the title of Ag. compactus), says of it "l'odeur est très fétide." I find its smell very strong and exactly like that of Polyporus squamosus.

Ag. flavobrunneus, Fr., is not easily distinguished at first sight from this last; its stem does not always bear that long ventricose form which is generally one of