400 Survey of Fishing -Gronnds, West Coast of Ireland, 1890—1891. 



degree of reduction in the number of its teeth. Taking sjiecimens of equal size, 

 the largest teeth in the upper jaw seem usually to be nearly one-third larger in the 

 Homelyn than in the Blonde. 



The egg-case of the Blonde is easily distinguished from that of the Homelyn 

 by its greater size. Exclusive of the attachment processes, a purse of the Blonde, 

 the parent being 46 inches long, measures 13'6 cm. in length, whereas one taken 

 from a Homelyn, 28 inches long, measures only 6*7 cm. The width of the 

 Blonde's purse is 7'6 cm., the Homelyn's being 4-8 cm. wide. Thus the jjurse of 

 the Blonde is narrower in proportion to its length, and is moreover more 

 rectangular in shape, the ends especially being almost parallell. There is not 

 much difference in the relative length of the attachment processes in the two 

 species, and the external surface is equally smooth in both. Both egg-cases are 

 figured. Plate xliv., figs. i. and ii. (Blonde and Homelyn respectively). 



DiSTEiBUTiON. — Blondes were more abundant in Blacksod Bay than elsewhere 

 along the coast, but were taken also in Ballinskelligs Bay, off the Aran Islands, in 

 Clew Bay, and off Downpatrick Head. As we have already remarked, no small 

 sjDecimens were observed anywhere during the Survey, though many were sexually 

 immature. None were taken in more than 29 fathoms, whereas they were frequent 

 in less than 10 fathoms. Homelyns were almost invariably taken wherever Blondes 

 occurred, and it would seem that the two species have much the same habitat, 

 though the Homelyn is the commoner of the two, and, as far as our knowledge 

 goes, extends into deeper water off the west coast of Ireland. In the North Sea 

 large Blondes are moderately abundant, and small ones are occasionally taken on 

 certain grounds lying about 20 to 30 miles east of the Spurn, the depth being less 

 than 20 fathoms. Homelyns occur more abundantly on the same grounds. 

 Owing to the confusion of the two species in woi'ks on British Ichthyology, it is 

 not easy to learn much of the distribution of the Blonde from such sources, but 

 the fish figured by Day as a Homelyn is certainly a Blonde, and is stated to 

 have come from Plymouth. The specimen of which Couch gives the measiu'e- 

 ments must also have been a Blonde, so that the species evidently occurs on the 

 Cornish Coast. R. asterias of Moreau, which we interpret as comjirising both the 

 Blonde and Homelyn, is described as common on all the coasts of France, and 

 also to be found in the Mediterranean. Making allowance for the possibility of 

 only one form, the Homelyn, being possessed of such a wide range, it is still 

 probable that the Blonde extends a considerable distance south of the British 

 Isles. Should it prove to be identical with R. brachyura, Lafant, its occurrence 

 will be definitely established on the coast of France. 



Names. — The name "Blonde" is that applied by Grimsby fishermen and 

 fish-merchants to R. llanda. In advance of ichthyologists, they have long recog- 

 nized the fish as distinct from the '* Homelyn," R. maculata. The Blonde, chiefly 



