Mr. Thompson on Fishes new to Ireland. 21 



Rays of dorsal and anal fins occasionally black. Pupil dark 

 blue, surrounded by a golden ring of about a hair's breadth. 

 The number of fin-rays in my specimen of S. variegata are 

 D. 63, A. 49, P. 4*, V. 4, C. 19 in all. In two of the specimens 

 of S. Lingula, varying most from each other in size, there are 

 72 rays in the dorsal and 56 in the anal fin ; two others have 

 the dorsal with 7 6 and the anal with 58 and 59 rays. 



Both species have papillae on the under surface of the head, 

 are rough with ciliated scales on the under as well as the up- 

 per side, and have the nostrils tubular, but not to such an 

 extent as Risso, terming the projection a " barbillon," figures 

 that of his Monochirus Pegusa. 



The variegated sole of Donovan and Yarrell appears to be 

 the same, and with it I consider the individual under consi- 

 deration identical. With Mr. Jenyns's description of S. Lin- 

 gula my other specimens accord, as they also do with Mr. 

 Hanmer's description and figure of the red-backed sole (Pen- 

 nant's British Zoology, vol. in. p. 313, pi. 48, ed. 1812), with 

 the exception of the black markings on the dorsal and anal 

 fins, extending over several rays and their connecting mem- 

 brane, instead of being confined to a single ray as in all the 

 specimens I have examined. 



It is worthy of investigation whether the Monochirus Pe- 

 gusa of Risso (t. 3, p. 258, f. 33, ed. 1826) be different from the 

 Solea variegata here treated of. The figure and description 

 of that species, though not in every respect accordant with 

 each other, present many characters in common with it. 



The S. variegata is here for the first time recorded as occur- 

 ring on the coast of Ireland. 



Anguilla latirostris, Yarr. Broad-nosed Eel. — When 

 at Toome (county Antrim) in Sept. 1834, a kind of eel was 

 described to me as very different from the species (A. acuti- 

 rostris) taken there in such abundance when entering the 

 river Bann in autumn, on their passage from Lough Neagh 

 to the sea. It was called * Culloch or hunter-eel," and was 



* This refers to the upper side, in which the second ray is the longest, 

 and terminated by a filament ; length of this ray and filament 1| line : P. 

 fin on under side rudimentary, half a line in length, and rays undistinguish- 

 able. 



