362 Survey of Fishing-Grounds^ West Coast of Ireland, 1890—1891. 



deap-sea fishes all which have been, or are now for the first time, recorded from 

 depths exceeding one hundred fathoms. That this distinction is to a great 

 extent one of convenience only (since it classes in the abysmal division many 

 forms which have a mainly littoral habitat) has been pointed out by Dr. Gtinther 

 himself, who has suggested the three-hundred-fathom line as a more natural 

 demarcation. Seeing, however, that the great " Challenger " work is our classic 

 in the literature of the subject, it appears advisable, in a small Paper like the 

 present, to adhere to the limit therein adopted, and thus to avoid a possible 

 source of confusion. We may also remark that since the Macruridse, a family 

 of typically abysmal structure, sometimes occur in water of less depth than 

 one hundred fathoms, a lowering of the vertical line of demarcation would not be 

 without its disadvantages. 



It ajjpears to us that we can greatly enhance the value of this Paper by 

 mentioning in it all deep-sea forms which have been taken off the Irish coast. 

 We only propose however to give descriptions of such as have come under our 

 own observation. In other cases, we shall merely give a reference to the publi- 

 cations in which their occurrence is noted. We shall also refer to the capture, 

 in deep water, in other localities, of species only known as littoral in Irish waters. 

 There is, so far as we are aware, no such list in existence, and it can hardly fail 

 to be convenient to future workers in the same field. 



In the case of the purely littoral fishes there is not the same want, since 

 Dr. Scharff's catalogue of the fishes in the collection of the Science and Art 

 Museum gives a complete list (up to 1889, the date of publication), and we need 

 only note the addition of any species which were obtained since then, either 

 during the Survey or otherwise. It will be understood that species which find a 

 place in the Catalogue, and which are not recorded as abysmal forms in this 

 Paper, are confined, so far as we are aware, to littoral waters. 



Since the days when William Andrews and A. Gr. More explored that district 

 the fish fauna of our most western coast has suffered some neglect. The 

 " Porcupine" made a few hauls of the dredge in the neighbourhood of the bank 

 which now bears its name, and the results formed a few additions to the list of 

 British fishes.* In 1885 Professor Haddon organised and carried out the first of 

 a series of deep-sea dredging cruises, and since then, up to the commencement 

 of the Survey, no year has elapsed without a record of some good work in this 

 direction. 



The valuable contributions to our knowledge of marine invertebrates thus 

 afforded need not be specially referred to, and although the " Lord Bandon " and 

 " Flying Falcon" expeditions yielded information of great interest, the ichthyo- 

 logical results of which have been published by Dr. Scharff,t it was not until 



* Giintlier, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1874. f Proc. Koyal Irish Acad., 1890, p. 456. 



