26 Mr. Thompson on Fishes new to Ireland, 



day, it is at this time captured with greater facility ; but is it 

 not rather for the novelty of dry-land fishing, with the addi- 

 tional feature of being achieved by moonlight, that the sport is 

 at this time practised* ? Although the sand-eel is noticed in 

 several of the Statistical Surveys of the Irish counties, there is 

 not that I recollect any remark which would lead us to suppose 

 that more than one kind has been observed ; but there can be 

 little doubt that both species are found elsewhere than on the 

 coasts of Down and Antrim. 



The largest specimen of A. Tobianus obtained at Dundrum 

 was 13 inches long. D.56 (first very short), P. 13, A. 29, C. 15. 

 In all the characters of form and relative proportion of parts 

 it agrees with the descriptions of Yarrell and Jenyns. In 

 colour this species is of a dark bluish green, while the A.Lancea 

 is of a sandy hue like the Atherine (A. Presbyter), but tinged 

 partially on the back and sides with bluish green. From the 

 mouth of the specimen described I took a small individual of 

 of its own species f: Bloch and Couch mention similar in- 

 stances. 



The largest A. Lancea procured at Dundrum was 8 inches 

 long. D. 54, P. 11, A. 27, C. 14. 



Dorsal fin commencing " in a line with the last quarter," 

 and not above u the middle" of the pectoral fins. 



Syngnathus Typhle, Linn. Deep-nosed Pipe-fish. — An 

 individual of this species, above 8 inches in length, and ob- 

 tained in 1835 at Glendore, county of Cork, by Mr. Allman, 

 has been forwarded for my inspection by Mr. R. Ball. Among 

 some small fishes taken along with Crustacea, &c. in Larne 

 Lough (county of Antrim) during the summer of 1836, by 

 Mrs. Patterson of Belfast, and very kindly sent to me, was a 

 specimen of S. Typhle. Though only 1 inch 2 lines in length, 

 every character in proportion to its size was as strongly marked 

 as in the adult fish. 



Syngnathus ^quoreus, Linn. iEquoreal Pipe-fish. — 

 A specimen of this fish taken at Youghal (county Cork) has 



* Mr. Lukis states that in Guernsey they are sought for by moonlight. — 

 Yarr. Brit. Fish. vol. ii. p. 324. 



j An observant friend once saw a sand-eel about four inches in length, 

 taken with bait, which was either a piece of herring or a composition of 

 feathers — the latter a common bait for the coal-fish {Merlangus Carbonarius) 

 in the north of Ireland. 



