i88 The Irish Nahiralisi. October, J911. 



As already alluded to. Mr. Regan recognises but a single species of Trout 

 (Scihuo trutta). The Irisli C.illaroo. the Great Lake Trout, the Sea Trout, 

 the Black-finned Trout and others are held to be mere varieties of the 

 Common Trout. 



On the other hand, while we were in the habit of distinguishing only 

 two kinds of Irish Char, Mr. Regan now informs us that there are no less 

 than six distinct species in Ireland. In addition there is the so-called 

 " Whiting " of Lough Neagh. which is now extinct and whicli Mr. Regan 

 (p. 110) believes to have been a Char. 



Lough Neagh is also inhabited by another fish which is still common 

 in the lake, namely the Pollan {Corec:onns polldii). Mr. Regan adopts 

 the name " Whitefisli " for this and other species belonging to the genus 

 Coregonus — a much better term than " Salmonoid " fislies hitherto used 

 for this group. He separates the Irish Pollans on somewhat slender 

 grounds (pp. 118- 121) into three distinct species, viz., the Lough Neagh 

 Pollan. the Lough Erne Pollan and the Shannon Pollan. 



He comments (p. 112) on the point interesting to the angler that while 

 American Whitefish are said to rise to the fiy, the European species are 

 seldom known to have done so, being consequently netted in all localities 

 where they occur in sulTicitMit numbers. 



Many of the other fishes referred to by Mr. Regan are absent from 

 Ireland, l)ut there is one that hitherto has been believed not to inhaliit 

 Ireland, namely, the Dace {Lciiciscits Icucisctis), which, according to Mr- 

 Holt (lyish Naturalist, vol. xx. p. 116) is found in the Blackwater and 

 may possibly be a true native species. 



A final chapter deals with the distribution in the British Islands of the 

 fresh water fishes, and their origin. Mr. Regan quite agrees with previous 

 writers on this subject that the presence in the British Islands of these 

 fishes implies the former existence of a land connection between Great 

 Britain and Ireland as well as with Continental Europe (p. 271). So 

 far there is unanimity of opinion among naturalists. It is only with 

 regard to the geological period during which the British and Irish fishes 

 are supposed to have invaded these countries that the conclusions arrived 

 at by different authors vary considerably. Mr. Regan maintains that 

 it was only after the Glacial Epoch that the freshwater fishes commenced 

 to invade our territory, while others believe that the fishes lived in Great 

 Britain and Ireland before the Ice Age, and survived it in these countries. 



Altogether Mr. Regan's work is a very attractive one, and can be safely 

 recommended to all those who are anxious to acquaint themselves with 

 the habits and distribution of the British and Irish freshwater fishes. 



R. F. S. 



