99 66

two

the lateral bands, I might say, almost always pretty distinct: his plate is bad, the head and body being too lumpy; neither does he trace the lateral bands, which I invariably find in life, and sometimes very marked. The four black or dark webs to the first four and a half spines of the dorsal fin and the black spot at the tail at all times indicate Jago's goldsinny. Its Dublin names are "pink brame,' spot brame" and "poisoned brame." The poor little goldsinny, luckily for itself, is cursed by the fishermen, and you will often hear the saying, "When you catch a poison brame, up lines and go home," meaning that the take is over for that tide, thus showing how timid and how slow of taking a bait it is.

Ponting, or Whiting, or Bib Pont (Gadus luscus).—Critically men. tioned by Thompson, and said to be of "occasional occurrence;" is one of the commonest fish on this coast. In Kingstown Harbour its fry are often caught on a hook and line in scores. It is most commonly caught from three to four inches long, though I have seen and taken it four pounds weight; it then approaches closely, in figure, the sea-bream (Pegallus centrodontus). It takes best on a sunny afternoon at low water, when other fish refuse to bite, and refuses no bait. Yarrell says, "The bib or pont, though not abundant, is yet a wellknown species, which is found on many parts of our coasts, particularly those that are rocky."

"Is

Threebearded Rockling (Motella vulgaris).—Thompson says, found sparingly round the coast." On the coast of Dublin Bay this Motella is most abundant, and is caught chiefly on the conger-lines, taking a herring bait. When thus caught it is eagerly devoured by the conger. The largest congers I have ever taken were on these fish. It is not uncommon to get from ten to twenty on a line of three hundred hooks day after day. They take a bait with dreadful voracity. Their colours vary greatly from brown to brick-red. Yarrell's plate is magnificent. Its Irish name is "ronst dwrone." Among our Dalkey names is "slippery Jemmy," from the unctuous feel of the fish. The flesh is said to be delicate, but is not sold.

Salmon (Salmo salar).-Of course this fish is well distributed on this our east coast of Ireland. There is a small fishery on the Liffey. Among sportsmen and naturalists there is great uncertainty on what the salmon feeds. Whilst in the sea there is no doubt that it lives on small fish for one thing; this I have seen proved on many occasions, the last not one week ago (beginning of August), a gentleman catching one on a herring fry whilst reeling for mackerel. I have seen and

heard of many fish taken this way. Some years ago a lady hooked one, in the same manner, 18 fbs. weight, and had it landed (boated) with her parasol. Throughout the autumn salmon are constantly seen jumping after fry in the sea. Some Irish salmon attain enormous sizes; the largest I have ever seen weighed 76 lbs. 9 oz., though Thompson mentions one upwards of 80 lbs.: his notes are well worth reading.

Great Forkbearded Hake (Phycis furcatus).-"Has in a very few instances been taken on the N.E. coast."-Thompson, vol. iv. p. 187. Last winter two instances of this rare fish came under my notice, one from the stomach of a conger, the other trawled off the coast. They measured respectively 1 foot and 1 foot 5 inches. Yarrell's plate is very good.

Tadpole Hake (Raniceps furcatus).-"Has been taken on one occasion, as noticed by me in the 'Ann. Nat. Hist.' vol. ii."-Thompson. Occurs sparingly here in autumn and winter, and is not near so rare as the preceding. Is taken generally on spitted lines set for whiting, &c., near the rocks. Irish name, "pluck-a-shee." Yarrell's plate is admirable.

Muller's Topknot (Rhombus hirtus).-Saw one specimen taken last winter. Thompson also knew of its occurrence in these waters.

Whiff (R. megastoma).—Was rather plentiful last winter; I bought many very cheap to feed my birds with, because they were "bad soles."

Scald Fish (R. arnoglossus)." A specimen of this very rare fish was obtained by Mr. Todhunter on the Galway coast, in September, 1848. * It has been taken on the coast of Cork.”—R. Ball.

*

(Thompson, vol. iv.) Was trawled abundantly off this coast last winter and spring. Same remarks as the last. I saw some hundreds used for baiting crab-pots in the spring. The name is very appropriate.

Equoreal Pipe-fish (Syngnathus æquoreus).-Last winter I met with an immense fish of this kind: seeing a boy "whacking" a donkey with a gutta-percha stick, as I thought, I asked him where he got it. "Its only a stalk of a snot (seaweed), sir; see:" and I did see a fine æquoreal, 3 feet 5 inches long. Of its toughness you may judge. Is not uncommonly taken in the baskets with whelks and crabs.

Shortnosed Sea-horse (Hippocampus brevirostris).—Dublin Bay is a pet locality of this curious species. Many were found dead among sea-weed last winter.

Thresher or Fox-shark (Carcharias vulpes).-"Can be announced only on circumstantial evidence as frequenting the Irish coast."Thompson, vol. iv. p. 250. Is often very common in this Bay. Last winter I saw one rise and kill a wounded diver with a slap of its tail, and then swallow it. When rising in the water the thresher is known from the porpoise by its long dorsal fin. I have frequently given a thresher a charge of shot, and caused him to jump clean out of the water. When up for sport they make a great noise by striking the water with their tail. Have seen them of enormous sizes.

I do not

Blue Shark (C. glaucus).-Some examples were taken by me on conger-lines this year; the largest was over 6 feet long. think it rare. They do great mischief to nets. Tope or Blue Hornless Dog-fish (Galeus vulgaris).—I have taken this fish abundantly, ranging to 7 feet long. Yarrell is decidedly wrong in saying the tope is "almost smooth." Its skin is so rough that it scores wooden bowls and platters white, and makes fine burnishers for gun-barrels.

Angel-fish (Squatina Angelus).—According to Thompson, rare. I often meet it among rays and skates. Monsters sometimes are exhibited.

Torpedo (Torpedo nobiliana).-Is rarely taken now on this coast. Once I knew it frequently used to bait crab-pots. Last winter I saw

one.

Myxine or Borer (Myxine glutinosa).—Only known to Thompson from being mentioned by M'Skimmin, in his 'History of Carrickfergus,' and by Mr. Templeton, in his 'Catalogue.' Cannot be rare off this coast, by the quantity of cod-fish which are consumed by it, the skin and bones being only left together. The poor dog-fish (picked or spiked species) are blamed for this. I have occasionally found them in the bilge of a boat.

Herring. The food of this fish is considered obscure; in the summer, when they are very fat, their food is fry. In cutting up herrings for bait, and this summer in particular, I have taken quantities of the sand-eel and herring fry from their stomachs; also, on one or two occasions, the tinned hooks we use on our long lines. How they got these hooks I could never think, as they could not have broken the lines to have taken them off. They were a hook quite unknown to Any herring man can tell you that they eat their own fry. I believe the "suction" theory as much in the herring as I do in the salmon, the snipe, and the woodcock, and as I have often taken mud

me.

worms from the throat of the snipe, and have caught salmon with fish, flies and grubs (when a boy), I think I may be pardoned for doubting that it is by suction these creatures live.

Dalkey, Co. Dublin, August 11, 1866.

HARRY BLARE-Knox.

P.S. Since writing this paper I have found in several herrings small shrimps.-H. B.-K.

A large Specimen of the Broadnosed Eeel-On the 17th of August a very fine example of the broadnosed eel (Anguilla latirostris) passed into my hands for preservation: it was netted the day previously in the River Bure, at Horning. It weighed just 7 lbs., and measured 3 feet 8 inches in length from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail, and 10 inches in girth (thickest part). This is the largest example of this species that I have ever seen or heard of. Mr. Yarrell, in his 'History of British Fishes' (vol. i. p. 299), observes that the greatest weight he had known an example of this species to attain did not exceed 5 lbs. The sharpnosed eel, however, has been known to attain a great size. Mr. Yarrell mentions two examples taken in a fen-dyke at Wisbeach, that together weighed 50 lbs, one 27 lbs. and the other 23 lbs. ('British Fishes,' vol. i. p. 294).—T. E. Gunn; 3, West Pottergate, Norwich.

Another Sturgeon off the Coast of Suffolk.-I have to record the capture of another example of this species, making the third this season taken around the coasts of Norfolk and Suffolk. This individual was captured on the 12th of September, by the crew of a Harwich fishing-smack, within a few miles from the shore. It was found to measure the extraordinary length of 12 feet 2 inches, girth 40 inches, and weight only 156 lbs. For notice of former specimen, see Zool. S. S. 311.-Id.

Variety of the Perch.-An example of the common perch (Perca fluviatilis), weighing 4 lbs., was caught in Ormesby Broad, near Great Yarmouth, on the 4th of September. Its entire length was 18 inches. The usually dark transverse bands of this species were very pale in this specimen; indeed they could scarcely be distinguished.-Id.

Notes on the Quadrupeds of Lanarkshire.

By EDWARD R. ALSTON, Esq.

(Continued from S. S. 242.)

Oared Shrew.-An adder or viper killed here in May last had a large swelling in the middle part of its body; on opening it I found in its stomach an oared shrew, quite whole and but little injured; the adder measured eighteen inches in length. This is the fourth specimen of this shrew which I have met with here: it appears to be more generally distributed in Scotland than Sorex fodiens. I cannot see any distinction

between the specimens described by Mr. Cordeaux (Zool. S. S. 327) and S. remifer; the general characters agree exactly and the dimensions do not greatly differ. Certainly his shrews could have been neither S. tetragonurus (our common species) nor S. rusticus of Jenyns, for neither of these belong to the aquatic section of the family (Crossopus of some authors), which his specimens evidently did. Of the last-named species (S. rusticus) I have never met with a description: if any of your readers have access to Mr. Jenyns' account perhaps they would favour us with his specific characters. The Leominster specimen, described by Mr. Newman (Zool. S. S. 386), would appear to be intermediate in some of its characters between the oared and water shrews. I believe that Mr. Jenyns has recorded similar specimens, and has expressed a doubt as to the distinctness of these two species.

Weasel. Last winter a lad who worked in our garden saw one morning two weasels rolling over and over on the ground, seemingly in mortal combat. So engrossed were they that he succeeded in seizing one of them, when the other one, after gazing at him for a moment, flew at him and ran up his leg. The boy, naturally enough, dashed them both to the ground, and took to his heels. The above I have on thoroughly trustworthy authority, but whether the second weasel wished to rescue the prisoner, or meant to renew the conflict, I will not venture to guess. At any rate, the incident illustrates the

boldness of these little beasts.

Bank Vole.-Another specimen, a female, was caught on the 21st of June, among some ornamental rock-work, where it had been feeding on a species of saxifrage. It contained four fœti, apparently just ready for birth, and was an unusually large example, the head and body 4.12 inch in length, the tail 1.75 inch. What is the usual number of young borne by the common field vole?

Squirrel. On the 9th of October I saw a young squirrel, not more than three parts grown. It was singularly bold, and as I stood quite still it descended from the tree on which it was sitting, came within two yards of me, looked me all over, and then, apparently satisfied with the inspection, returned to its feast on fir-seeds. It showed the greatest dexterity in gathering the cones from the ends of the branches, frequently hanging under the bough, back downwards. In descending the perpendicular trunk, which it did with great rapidity, the hind feet were reversed, so that the claws might catch on the inequalities of the bark.