1893 J Selache Maxima Again. 387 



say that the mere skin, just taken off by a butcher, and thickly salted, 

 and then put into a box or cask : or even cut in two and so treated 

 would keep a long time, and is worth some 20. I think Steindachner, 

 in Vienna, offered me that sum. And I think Dr. Giinther would give 

 about as much. There are only 3 or 4 stuffed skins known. Then, did 

 you know about that curious large spine, which is implanted in the 

 claspers (hind lower fin) of the male ? That, of itself, would be worth 

 having. Then, there is the large parasite which is found attached to 

 the eye. Then, ... I suppose you looked for parasites on the body ? 

 But, of all things I want to see that grand Crustacean parasite, which 

 has been seen, but never described, attached to the eye. I tried hard to 

 get the <? spine, from Achill ; but the fish had become too offensive in 

 smell. By the way, our friend Sheridan has got a rare Dolphin lately. 

 Was not Ussher lucky in finding so many Garden Warblers* ? How do 

 you like the enclosed tract on the Irish Flora ? 



Among the attractions of Bray was a colony of tree- 

 frogs, whose music could be heard after dark on warm 

 nights, when he sometimes went out late to listen to 

 them. A sample of the curious items constantly brought 

 him by post is the following short epistle preserved 

 amongst his papers : 



Fassaroe. Enclosed from , where also I saw on a farm a 



fence made to keep out "a weed"! "What weed?" said I. "Is 

 there any of it?" "Yes, plenty." "Then get a bit." Farmer ran 

 into next field, and brought me a bunch of Convolvulus. This is the 

 first time I ever saw a fence made to keep a weed in check. 24/6/93. 



Such " travellers' tales " were delicious to him. But 

 unhappily the brilliant summer was marked by another 

 of those severe illnesses, which so terribly reduced his 

 little remaining store of constitutional strength. When 

 he could be moved, he was brought back to Dublin, 

 still in very poor health, on the last day of July the 

 day on which, as he records in a pocket-almanack, his gun- 

 licence expired. The licence was never renewed. But by 

 the beginning of September he was sufficiently recovered 

 to resume part of his correspondence : and in a letter to 

 Mr. Sheridan (Sept. yth), discussing a Wagtail, a Skua, a 

 Spider, the Mediterranean Heath, and the White-sided 

 Dolphin, occurs one short sigh of regret for the change since 



* An article on the Garden Warbler in Ireland, by Mr. Ussher, appeared in 

 the " Irish Naturalist," July, 1893. 



2C2 



