104 Mr. Thompson on the Sticklebacks of Ireland. 



Fifteen-spined Stickleback*, G. Spinachia, Linn. 



This species, differing from G. aculeatus and G. Pungitius 

 in being strictly a marine fish, is found around the coast of 

 Ireland. I possess examples obtained at Rathlin, in the north 

 (by Dr. J. D. Marshall) ; Bundoran, in the west (W. T.) ; 

 Youghal, in the south (by Mr. R. Ball), and on the coasts of 

 Down (W. T.) ; and Antrim (by Mrs. Patterson), in the north- 

 east. 



On the southern coast, where sprat-fishing is regularly prac- 

 tised, the G. Spinachia is taken in greater quantity than in 

 the north. Mr. R. Ball on one occasion knew as many to be 

 captured with the Sprat {Clupea Spj^attus), at Youghal, as 

 would " fill a bushel," and at Glendore and the south-west 

 coast of Cork generally, Mr. G. J. Allman informs me that 

 it is often taken at the same time with this fish. On the coast 

 of Down full-grown specimens have occasionally occurred to 

 me when dredging, and likewise under stones between tide- 

 marks, and one or two individuals may sometimes be seen in 

 the fish-market at Belfast, whither they are brought with 

 quantities of the Atherine [Atherina Presbyter) from Porta- 

 ferry, in the winter and early spring. In the rock-pools, on 

 different parts of the coast, the fry of G. Spinachia may be 

 observed in the month of June about three-quarters of an 

 inch in length ; and in such places I have at Bangor (county 

 Down), in the middle of September, captured them of twice 

 that size, where in winter neither young nor adult examples 

 ever occurred to me. 



Both the G. aculeatus and G. Pungitius were included in 

 Dr. Patrick Brown's ' Catalogue of the Fishes of Ireland,* 

 pubhshed in Exshaw's Magazine for 17/4 — the former species 

 was noticed two years before in Rutty's ' Natural History of 

 the County of Dublin.' In M'Skimmin's * History of Car- 

 rickfergus,' and in Mr. Templeton's * Catalogue,' the G. Spina-, 

 chia has a place. 



In one respect the foregoing pages may be considered 

 rather as exhibiting a retrogression than an advancement of 

 the subject, as in them an attempt is made to restore what 

 have latterly been considered as several species simply into 

 the three described by Linnaeus as Gast. aculeatus, G. Pun' 

 yitius and G. Spinachia. 



* Horn-eel is a common name fur this species in the North. 



