248 The Irish Naturalist. [Sept., 1896. 



ZOOLOGY. 



MOLLUSCS. 



Llttorina obtusata at Bunowcn, Connamar'a.--Ontlie occasion 

 of the Easter trip to Roundstone and district by a number of members 

 of the Belfast and Dublin Field Clubs, many of those who were at Bun- 

 owen Bay, near Slyne Head, noticed the great numbers of this common 

 little shell, at one end of the strand. There is a small cove at the west- 

 ward end, cut off from the main beach ; in this cove the surface of the 

 sand above highwater mark was covered with shells. 



From the surface I collected at random as many shells as covered 

 about two to three square yards, taking care not to select special patches. 

 The following is the list of species thus gathered : — Littorina obttisaia^ 

 509 individuals ; Trochus cinera^'ius, 57 ; T. timbilicatics, 55 ; Littorina littorea 

 16; Helix ericetorwn, 15; Purpura lapilhis, 10 ; Trochus zizyphinus, 2-, Patella 

 vulgaia, i ; Helix acuta, i. In addition to these, which were all practically 

 unbroken shells, were the following: — Small pebbles, 5; fragments of 

 Cardiiim edule, i ; fragment of Ostrea, i. This list seems so remarkable that 

 I am sending it up for publication, in order to find out any parallel 

 instances of great preponderance of one species. 



A. G. Wii^SON, Belfast. 

 ^ SpirialJs rctrovcrsus in Killala Bay. — During the recent neap 

 tides and in fine calm weather I visited the Island of Bartra, lying across 

 Killala Bay, and having a long range of sandy beach exposed to the 

 Atlantic. I thought it would be a favourable day for shell drift, but the 

 most interesting occurrence was the immense deposit of Spirzalis 

 retroversus. It lay along the water-mark in a broad band varying in 

 width from three feet to a few inches, and heaped up in some places to a 

 depth of two inches. This deposit extended along the beach for about a 

 mile, where it lay like froth. Though in colour a pale milky chocolate, 

 the mass had evidently been wafted in alive, as the odour was most un- 

 pleasant, and remained on those I brought away for some da3^s. Besides 

 this froth-like deposit, which extended for quite a mile, there was a 

 smaller quantity mixed with the usual drift all along the beach. 



Once before I met with this shell in the froth-like masses, though not 

 to such an extent. The shells were, for the most part, very small. 



Amy Warren, Ballina. 



FLSHES. 



The AIlls Shad In Irish Waters. — The July number of the /m// 

 Naturalist mentions that a specimen of the AUis Shad had been lately 

 taken near Donaghadee, and quotes Thompson as an authority for sa3'ing 

 that Londonderry is the only Irish locality where it has been found. 



Dr. Day on the other hand quotes this same Thompson as reporting 

 that it is often abundant in some parts of Ireland, and specially men- 

 tions two or three instances from Donegal, and I have myself seen 

 two specimens taken in Inver Bay on the west coast of that county. 



W. SiNCi^AiR, Strabane. 



[Thompson (J^at. Hist, of Lreland, vol. iv., p. 178) gives Londonderry as 

 the only Irish locality on the authority of the Ordnance Survey. — Eds.] 



