448 Survey of Fishi)i(f-Gi'ounds, West Coast of Ireland. 1890-1891. 



occur with the growth of the individual, as is the case in some species of 

 Macrurus. 



Locality and Distribution. — The Survey examples are five in number, and were 

 all taken at 500 fathoms, 54 miles off Achill Head. So far as is at present 

 known, the species is confined to the deep water in the neighbourhood of the 

 British Isles. It appears to be abundant in the Faroe Channel, where the first 

 specimens were taken by the " Knight Errant," at 530 fathoms, in 1880 (Giinther). 

 On the Irish coast the first example was secured by the " Flying Falcon," at 

 750 fathoms, in 1881 (Scharff); while another was taken by the "Research" in 

 the following year (Bourne). 



Genus Molva, Nilss. 



Molva vulgaris, Fleming. The Ling. (Deep-sea.) 



M. vulgaris, Collett, " Nyt. Mag. f. Naturvid," 1884, p. 84, 



,, LiLLJEBOEG, " Sverig. o. Norg. Fisk," p. 131. 



„ Holt, "Sci. Proc. R. Dub. Soc," vii., pp. 122, 



219, 441. 



Specimens were taken during the Survey at 127 and 154 fathoms off the coast 

 of Mayo, as well as in littoral waters. Ling are constantly taken on the 

 Norwegian coast at depths exceeding 100 fathoms, the largest, according to 

 Lilljeborg, coming from 80 to 150 fathoms, while Collett remarks that young 

 examples are rarely taken at less than 100 fathoms. On our own coast, as has 

 been pointed out by one of us,* the young are not infrequent in quite shallow 

 water. 



Off the Faroe Islands ling are regularly taken on the long lines at depths 

 exceeding 100 fathoms; but there is difficulty in obtaining from the fishermen, 

 who are our informants, exact information as to the maximum depth at which the 

 species has been caught. 



* Holt, supra, iv. 91, p. 96. 



