^b SALMONID^E. 



tent than that of ' fresh herring,"* thougli both fishes are in 

 season at the same period of the year. In the month of 

 June 1834, fifty hundreds, — six thousand one hundred and 

 fifty individuals — of pollan and one hundred and twenty-five 

 pounds weight of trout were taken at one draught of a net, 

 at another part of the hake near Ram's IsLand, Avliich was the 

 most succeesful capture made there for twenty-four years. In 

 1834 this fish was more abundant than ever before known. 

 Like the Gwyniad and Vendace, the Pollan dies very soon 

 after being taken from the water, and likewise keeps for a 

 very short time. It is not in general estimation for the 

 table, but is, I think, a very good and well-flavoured fish." 



"Though permanently resident, the pollan is very far from 

 being generally diffused throughout Lough Neagh. It rarely 

 occurs between the river Mayola and Toone ; while from the 

 Six-milc-water to Shane''s Castle is so favorite a resort, that a 

 few houses that formerly stood near the latter locality, were 

 dignified with the name of Pollan 's Town." 



" In the months of November and December this fish de- 

 posits its spawn where the lake presents a hard or rocky bot- 

 tom. On the 4th of December 1835, a quantity of the 

 largest Pollans I have seen were brought to Belfast market. 

 Several were thirteen inches in length, and all on dissection 

 proved to be females just ready to deposit their roc. On 

 the 11 til of the same month several male specimens of full 

 size that I procured, and which contained milt most promi- 

 nently developed, measured but eleven inches and a half, — 

 thus showing that in maturity the female fish exceeds the 

 male in length in the proportion of thirteen to eleven and a 

 half. Its average weight when in season is about six ounces. 

 One specimen, mentioned to me as the largest taken within 

 the last ten years, weighed two pounds and a half. The 

 only food that I have, without resorting to the microscope, 

 detected in the stomach of the Pollan was a full grown speci- 



