ATHERINID^E. 227 



Ireland. Found in certain localities from the coast of Down, where it is 

 plentiful, southwards to that of Cork, being not uncommon at Wexford (Walker), 

 and Youghal (Ball) ; and the smelt alluded to by Rutty as existing in the county 

 of Dublin, and Smith in the county of Cork, are suggested by Thompson to be 

 this species. It is mostly brought to market at Belfast from December to April, 

 both months inclusive, but has been observed as early as September. In autumn 

 it is very common in the harbour at Portrush, county of Antrim (Ogilby, Zool. 

 1876, p. 4754). Dingle Harbour abundant (Andrews). In Belfast Bay one was 

 taken in January, 1851, from the stomach of a red-breasted merganser, Mergus 

 serrator, shot there (Walker). Said to attain a larger size in Ireland than in 

 England. In Strangford Lough its average length is recorded at 6j, a few 7, 

 and one 7| inches long. 



2. Atherina Boyeri, Plate LXV, fig. 2. 



Hepsetus, Rondel, i, lib. vii, c. 10, p. 215; Gesner, Aquat. iv, p. 71. Lavaronus, 

 Gesner, 1. c. p. 73 ; Aldrov. ii, c. 37, p. 218 ; Jonst. Pise, i, art. 19, p. 52. 



Anguela, Willugh. iv, c. 2, p. 209 ; Ray, Syn. p. 79. 



Atherina hepsetus, var. 3, De la Roche, An. Mus. xiii, p. 357. 



Atherina Boyeri, Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 333, pi. x, f. 38, and Eur. Merid. iii, 

 p. 470 ; Cuv. and Val. x, p. 432, pi. ccciii {semi- adult); Bonap. Faun. Ital. Pesc. ; 

 Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 243 ; Guichen. Explor. Alger. Poiss. p. 66 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. iii, p. 395 ; Canestr. Fauna Ital. p. 116 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. 205. 



Boiers atherine, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 4, pi. exxi, f. 1. 



B. vi, D. 7-8/irlTa, P. 14-15, V. 1/5, A. ^l^, C. 17, L. 1. 50-57, L. tr. 4/6. 

 Vert. 44-46. 



Length of head 4| to 5|, of caudal fin 5| to 6\, height of body 5| to 6 in the 

 total length. Eye 2^- diameters in the length of the head, 2/3 of a diameter from 

 the end of the snout, and 1 diameter apart. Cleft of mouth very oblique ; the 

 posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to beneath the front edge of the eye. 

 Teeth present in jaws, vomer, palatine bones, and on the tongue. Fins the 

 first dorsal fin commences above the middle of the ventral. Colours similar to 

 the last species, the lateral band occupies the lower half of the fourth row of 

 scales, all the fifth, and the upper half of the sixth row. 



The foregoing brief descriptions are from the specimens in the British Museum, 

 which appear to differ from A. presbyter in the size of the eye and number of 

 vertebras, provided such characters are constant. But Jenyns found the eye in 

 A. presbyter as large as any yet observe! in A. Boyeri. The difference in a few 

 fin rays more or less can hardly be a critarion as to species in individuals of this 

 genus, wherein such great variations are shown as I have observed in the British 

 form (page 225). Professor Steindachner (Sitz. Ak. Wiss. Wien, 1868, lvii, pp. 

 676-680) considers A. Boyeri to be the young of A. presbyter. 



Habits. Couch observes that in October, 1846, in the midst of turbulent 

 weather, there was discovered in the harbour of Polperro, Cornwall, a large 

 number of small fishes, which only remained a week, and when present mani- 

 fested actions unlike those of known species. They swam near the surface, not 

 more than three or four, within a foot or two of each other, but the whole scat- 

 tered loosely over the water to the number of several thousands. They were so 

 vigilant that it became scarcely possible to approach them, as at the sight of a 

 moving object they were, in an instant, off in another direction. 



Habitat. According to Couch and Giinther from the south coast of Great 

 Britain, to and in the North Atlantic as far as Madeira. Also the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, having been first described by Risso in his Ichthyology of Nice. 



Couch's examples did not exceed 3 inches in length, and were considered by 

 himself and Yarrell to belong to this species ; but the specimens appear to have 

 been lost, and it is doubtful if A. presbyter was not the form alluded to. 



The examples figured, rather more than life size, is one of Lowe's specimens 

 from Madeira. 



15* 



