1/2 Guide to Belfast. 



PISCES. 



Little work has been done among the marine and fresh- 

 water fishes of the district since the publication of the fourth 

 volume of Thompson's Natural History of Ireland in 1856; 

 the only local book containing later information being 

 The Birds, Fishes, and Cetacea of Belfast Lotigh, by R. Lloyd 

 Patterson, f.l.s. ; but it only deals with about fifty marine 

 fishes, which may be more or less commonly met with. 

 The section dealing with fishes in the British Association 

 Guide of 1874 was almost wholly derived from Thompson's 

 above-mentioned volume. J. Douglas Ogilby published a 

 valuable series of notes in the Zoologist on fishes of the 

 Portrush district, and my acknowledgments are due to all 

 the above sources of information. To Dr. R. F. Scharff, 

 of the National Museum in Dublin, my thanks are especially 

 due for much assistance and helpful suggestions freely given. 

 The pages of The Irish N^aturalist contain notes on Irish 

 fishes, and should be consulted. 



Arrangement and Nomenclature followed. 



Dr. Francis Day ; The Fishes of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 2 vols. 1880-84. 



TELEOSTEI. 

 Acanthopterygil 



Perca fluviatilis. Perch. — Locally common, but not 

 found everywhere. Large numbers are caught in Lough 

 Neagh and rivers flowing into it. 



Labrax lupus. Bass. — Rare in the north of Ireland, 

 and solitary examples usually obtained. Ogilby records one 

 of 13! lbs. at Portrush, and Thompson one of 14 lbs. from 

 Belfast Lough, but these weights are quite exceptional. 



Cantharus lineatus. Black Sea-bream. — Very rare; 

 first recorded Irish specimen was taken in May 1846 off 

 Cultra Point, Belfast Lough. 



Pagellus centrodontus. Common Sea-bream. — 

 Abundant; called "Carp" in Belfast Lough, and "Brazier" 

 at Portrush. 



