6 The Irish Naturalist. January, 



The time required for halcliing out also varies enormously — from a few 

 days or a few weeks, to live months or more in the case of such fishes as 

 skates, which have large eggs with much stored food. The newly-hatched 

 fishes are usually utterly unlike their parents, and are often protected 

 by being quite transparent. They abound in surface waters and feed 

 on the microscopic organisms tha.t exist there. As both eggs and larvae 

 are at the mercy of currents the drift of the waters is of great interest, 

 and study of this subject has brought home to us the fact that no district 

 is independent of its neighbours. That is the justification for an 

 international scheme of fishery research. The rate of growth of fishes 

 has been much studied of late. It is of great interest to find that the 

 shoals that frequent certain coasts are largely composed of fish of one 

 age ; year after year young recruits appear to take the place of the older 

 fish, which pass on to new territory. The migrations of fishes are as 

 interesting and as mysterious as those of birds. One fact stands out 

 clear — namely, that the spawning migrants tend to swim against the 

 currents to regain the position lost by the drifting eggs or larvae. Perhaps 

 the most remarkable illustration of this is found in the behaviour of the 

 Eels, which swim thousands of miles to deposit their eggs in waters whose 

 slow drift brings the young Eel to our shores after- a journey that occupies 

 years. As fishes have many enemies, they also have many protective 

 devices. Colour adaptations and mimicry plaj'' no small part in securing 

 freedom from attack. Spines, and in some cases poisonous secretions 

 associated with spines, are also valuable safeguards. 



A discussion took place, in which the following took part : — -The 

 President (Rev. W. R, Megaw, B.A.) ; R, S, Slipper, M.A, ; J. McCaw, 

 B.A. ; J, J. Holness ; and R, J. Welch, M.R.I. A. With the election 

 of one junior and ten ordinary members the proceedings closed. 



NOTES, 



ZOOLOGY. 



Greenland Wheatear in Co. Derry. 



On 2ist October, 1922, a Wheatear was shot at Maghera, Co. Derry, 

 The bird on dissection proved a female, and having a wing measurement 

 of iipwards of 100 mm, it belongs to the large (Greenland) race [CEnanthe 

 {snanthe leucorrhoa (Gmel.)). I have to thank Dr. N. F. Ticehurst, who 

 Idndly examined the specimen and confirmed my diagnosis. He says 

 " for a female this (wing measurement) is alone conclusive, but in 

 addition the big tarsi and the amount of black on the outer tail feathers 

 are quite confirmatory." 



Nevin H. Foster. 

 Hillsborough, Co. Down. 



