30O Alexander Goodman More. [i882 



appeared in the <4 Daily Express" of Monday, June 2gth, 

 1885 : 



GALWAY, Saturday. 



An extraordinary kind of fish was captured yesterday outside 

 Hag's Head, in Galway Bay, by some Claddagh fishermen who were 

 looking for gurnard. They were compelled to use the halyards to hoist 

 it on board. Being unacquainted with the species, they brought it 

 ashore, where it was visited by thousands of persons. Nobody could 

 form any idea to what family the fish belonged : its like was never 

 before seen on this coast. It is about 9^ feet long, about 5 feet in girth, 

 and weighs close on 3 cwt. The mouth is like that of a shark, the upper 

 jaw protruding about six inches beyond the lower. In addition to this 

 a long pig-shaped snout extends from the upper jaw about eight inches. 

 The eyes are large, and resemble those of a cow. There are five rows 

 of gills on each side, divided by a layer of grizzly flesh. There are two 

 rows of teeth, one in each jaw. Each tooth is about two inches long, 

 and as thin as a wafer, each tooth lapping over its neighbour. The 

 skin is of a silvery colour, and underneath it is a number of spots known 

 as " buttons." These diminish in size as they near the tail. The tail 

 is fan-shaped ; there is no dorsal fin ; the buttons are half an inch in 

 diameter at the head, and in the centre of each is a thorn a quarter of 

 an inch long, as sharp as a needle. The same fishermen caught 

 another fish about five feet longer, but it escaped. 



" The sea-monster mentioned in this day's ' Express ' 

 is a sturgeon : your correspondent's description of the 

 fish is very accurate " remarked a correspondent in the fol- 

 lowing day's paper. The head and tail of the " monster " 

 were, however, secured for the Museum, and thus verified 

 the second occurrence in Irish waters of the Spinous 

 Shark. 



