THE FISHES OF THE IRISH SEA. 39 



Family CYTTID^E. 



ZEUS FABER, Linn. John Dory. 



(Day's British Fishes, vol. I., p. 138, PI. XLVIII.) 



(Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep., Univ. Coll., Liverpool.) 



The "John Dory" is caught occasionally in the trawl in the warmer months in any 

 part of the district. It is never abundant, nor of large size ; most of those we have seen of late 

 years have been about 5 inches in length ; but we have trawled some larger ones in Carnarvon 

 Bay, and between Lancashire and the Isle of Man, e.g., at 14 miles N.W. of Morecambe Bay- 

 Lightship in 20 fathoms, in May, 10 inches long. Professor White has taken it down to i 

 inch in length in the trawl in Carnarvon Bay in October. 



It ranges from Norway to the Mediterranean, but is commonest in British seas on our 

 southern coasts. 



Family XIPHIID/E. 

 XIPHIAS GLADIUS, Linn. Sword-fish. 

 (Day's British Fishes, vol. I., p. 146, PI. XLIX.) 



The Sword-fish ranges from Scandinavian seas to the tropical Atlantic and the West 

 Indies. In summer and autumn it appears around the shores of Great Britain, especially in 

 the south and west. It has been recorded from the Bristol Channel and from off" the Wexford 

 coast, and so no doubt occasionally enters our area. 



Family 

 AQUILA, Risso, -Shade-flsh. 



(Day's British Fishes, vol. I., p. 150, PI. L. ) 



This fish extends almost from Arctic to Antarctic Seas, and is frequently found on our 

 southern coasts. It has also been recorded from many other places round Britain, including 

 Carmarthen Bay, and occasionally enters our district. It is recorded (by Mr. T. J. Moore) in the 

 stock books of the Liverpool Free Public Museum as having been taken outside the Queen's 

 Channel, Mersey estuary, in October, 1870. 



Family GOBIID/E. 

 GOBI us FLAVESCENS, Fabr. Two-spotted Goby. 



(See G. ruthensparri , Day's British Fishes, vol. L, p. 160, PI. LII.) 

 (Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep., Univ. Coll., Liverpool). 



This Goby ranges from Norway and Denmark to the coasts of France. It extends all 

 round the coast of Britain, and has been recorded from our district as being common in the 

 estuary of the Dee, where it lays its eggs inside empty Mya shells and guards them from 

 shrimps and other enemies (A. O. Walker), and from Holyhead (Eyton), and Menai Straits 

 (White). We also find it in our other estuaries, It is called by some of the fishermen locally 

 "the Lady-hen," 



