with descriptions of some new species of Invertebrata. 311 



on the lower part of the sides of the neck and on the breast were, 

 instead of being roundish as in the teal, somewhat of a semicircular 

 form, and varied in size from ** one half to nearly the whole size of a 

 man's finger-nail." Like the old male wigeon it was whitish, but of 

 a purer colour, on the top of the head, and like it had the white 

 marking on the wing, both characters denoting an old male bird of 

 its species. On the figures of the American wigeon in the works of 

 Wilson (Jardine's edit.) and Yarrell being shown to the shooter, he 

 felt confident that his bird was of the same species, the former repre- 

 senting its plumage the better of the two, and the latter its form, as 

 the neck was thicker than that of the common wigeon. Although 

 he thus noted the bird particularly, and with another shooter who 

 accompanied him to Strangford, held a kind of inquest on its 

 species, it was unfortunately sold with his other wildfowl, as from 

 having seen singular varieties of birds in the hands of bird-pre- 

 servers, he thought this might be a remarkable state of plumage 

 of the common wigeon : — of a second species he had not at that 

 time heard. He is certain of having killed other birds of the same 

 species in Belfast bay, but never any so far advanced towards adult 

 male plumage. Placing entire reliance on the discrimination and ac- 

 curacy of Bell, I have not hesitated to add this bird to our fauna, 

 although other naturalists may not be inclined on such testimony to 

 admit its claim to be so recorded. 



To the same shooter we are indebted for the specimen of Tringa 

 platyrhyncha just noticed ; he at once perceived that it was distinct 

 from the dunlins killed at the same time, and preserved it accord- 

 ingly. 



Fishes. 

 Kay^s Sea Bream, Brama Raii, Cuv. and Val. 



To Dr. R. J. Burkitt of Waterford we are indebted for the posi- 

 tive addition of this species to our fauna, this gentleman having 

 lately contributed a native specimen to Mr. R. Ball for the Museum 

 of Trinity College, Dublin. The fish (of which a large and correct 

 drawing has been sent me) was taken at Tramore in the month of 

 October 1843. It is the first certain instance known to me of its 

 occurrence on our coast. Mr. Yarrell* gives it from M'Skimmin's 

 'List of the Fishes of Carrickfergus,' but as remarked in my Report 

 on the Vertebrata of Ireland, " the propriety of the application of 

 the name to this species is doubtful." All that is said of it by 

 M'Skimmin is, "Sparus Raii; hen-fish, a choice fish; rare." The 

 term hen- fish is applied by our fishermen to one or two other spe- 

 cies of somewhat rare occurrence. 



MOLLUSCA. 



Doris obvelata, Johnst., Annals of Nat. Hist. vol. i. p. 52. pi. 3. 

 fig. 4— 7 (notof Muller). 



In July last Mr. Hyndman procured a specimen of this Doris on 

 * Brit. Fishes, vol. i. p. 134. 2nd edit. 



