558 Extracts from the Minute-Booh of the Linnean Society. 



respecting this and the other characters thus dwelt upon was sub- 

 sequently confirmed from an inspection of two living birds, which 

 have been since Feb. 1830 in the possession of William Sinclair, 

 Esq. of the Falls, near Belfast. 



Observations on the dispositions, habits, &c. of these individuals 

 were also added. 



The Three-spined Stickleback of the North of Ireland was dwelt 

 upon at considerable length, and the differential characters between 

 it and the three English species, as described by Mr. Yarrell, (Mag. 

 of Nat. Hist. vol. iil.) pointed out. From all of these it was stated 

 to be distinct, but seemingly identical with the Gasterosteus hrachy- 

 centrus of the Hist. Nat. des Poissons of Cuvier and Valenciennes 

 (torn. iv. p. 499. pi. 98.), a species there published as new, and men- 

 tioned as having been obtained by M. Savigny from the brooks of 

 Tuscany. 



The discrepancy between Cuvier (^Rigne Animal, 2nd ed.) and 

 British authors relative to the Gasterosteus pungitius of Linnaeus, 

 was next noticed. 



It was remarked of the Gohius niger, from specimens taken in the 

 North of Ireland, (on the shores of which country the species has not 

 before been recorded as met with,) that the fish so named by Dono- 

 van, with which these were identical, is distinct from the G. niger of 

 Pennant, and as such ranks as a third species of Gohius to the 

 British Fauna, two species only having yet a place in it. 



The Cyclopterus Montagui Don. which stands recorded as having 

 been taken only on the southern coast of England, and there but by 

 its discoverer, was next noticed, from the circumstance of a spe- 

 cimen occurring to the author on the coast of the County of Down 

 in December 1833. The difference, consisting chiefly in colour and 

 markings, between this fish (which was matui'c) and Colonel Mon- 

 tagu's as described in the Wern. Mem. (vol. i. p. 92.), was pointed 

 out. 



Specimens of all the species treated of in this paper, with the 

 exception of Cygnus Bewichii, were exhibited. 



