found in Ireland. 103 



La Bergeric, near Portarlington, Qiieeri*s-couiity, by the Rev. 

 B. J. Clarke, is an individual with four spines. It is 1 j inch 

 long ; the first and second spines are of ordinary length ; the 

 third sjiine is short, but exceeding the fourth. In no other 

 character than that of having four spines, does this fish differ 

 from the .3-spined examples taken with it, and consequently 

 I cannot look upon it otherwise than merely an accidental va- 

 riety of G. aculeatus, Linn. It was among a parcel, consist- 

 ing of G. Iieurus, G. brachycentrus and G. Pungitius, taken in 

 a pond and in some neighbouring drains. The "ascending 

 plate from the base of the ventrals " (see Jenyns's Manual, 

 p. 350), I find subject to variety of form Uke other parts. 



That the fish under consideration is the G. spinulosus, seems 

 to me not to admit of doubt*. 



Ten-spined Stickleback, G. Pungitius, Linn. 



This diminutive fish is " rare " — as has already been noticed 

 by Templeton t — ii^ Ireland, comparatively with the 3-spined 

 species. The localities w^hence I possess it are very few in 

 number, viz. — pits excavated in brick-making on the banks of 

 the BlackstafF river, near Belfast ; a marsh in the neighbour- 

 hood of Portaferry, county Down (W. T.) ; and La Bergerie, 

 Queen's-county (Rev. B.J. Clarke) — from this locality a con- 

 siderable number were sent, and among them the largest na- 

 tive specimens I have seen, a few being If inch in length, and 

 one having attained to 2\ inches. 



From the neighbourhood of Portpatrick, Scotland, this spe- 

 cies has been sent me by Capt. Fayrer, R.N. For examples 

 from the Thames I am indebted to Mr. Yarrell ; and in the 

 river Leam, near Leamington, Warwickshire, it has occurred 

 to myself. 



In most of the above localities the 3-spined species was 

 taken with the G. Pungitius. All of the latter, whether from 

 brackish or freshwater, are smooth throughout the sides (G. 

 lavis, Cuv. ' Regne x\nimal,' 2nd ed.j), and but a very few in- 

 dividuals present any appearance of a keel on the sides of the 

 tail. The dorsal spines vary from nine to eleven in number, 

 and do so in examples of equal size from the same place. 



* Since the above was written, I have been gratified to find that my friend 

 Dr. Johnston, in a ' List of the Fishes of Berwickshire, exclusive of the Sal- 

 mones,' considers the G. sjAnulosus a variety only of the 3-spined species — 

 of these he notices the " Rough-tailed, Half-armed, and Smooth-tailed 

 Sticklebacks" of YaiTell, as varieties only of one species. (See Report of the 

 Berwickshire Naturalists' Club for 1S38, p. 171.) 



t Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. i. New Series. 



X See also Hist, des I'oiss. t. iv. p. .507. 



