Mr. Thompson's Additions to the Fauna of Ireland. 479 



intelligent collector of objects of natunil histoiy), respecting the spe- 

 cies of Newts observed by him, he replied — " I am 2)ositive of there 

 being two species of Triton in this country, one of which is the T. 

 punctatus of Jenyns's ' Manual,' and the rarer with us ; the more 

 common species is by far larger and of a richer colour ; it is nearly 

 double the size of T. punctatus; the crest is far larger and is not 

 notched ; the feet are webbed. To convince you that I have not 

 confounded the young and adult of the same siDecies, I may state 

 that I observed them in the breeding season, and met with females 

 of both species." A fair inference from these remarks, I think, is 

 that Lissotriton pubnipes is the animal alluded to. My correspond- 

 ent had not seen Mr. Bell's work on British Reptiles. 



Pisces. 



Scomber maculatus. Couch ? Spanish Mackerel. Mr. McCalla 

 having mentioned the occurrence of this fish on the coast of Conne- 

 mara, replied to my queries as follows : — " The fish which I consi- 

 der to be this, is found with the Mackerel, and, in some seasons, not 

 uncommonly. It is known by the name of Spanish Mackerel, which 

 was no doubt first applied to it here by the Coast Guard, many of 

 whom have been in the navy. I have not seen any specimens of S. 

 maculatus this year (1840), but on carefully looking to the charac- 

 ters given by Couch (Jenyns's ' Manual') am of opinion that it is 

 the above species. I am quite positive that we have two species of 

 Scomber on this coast. Curanx trachurus has been scarce here this 

 year." 



Silurus Glanis, Linn..'' Sly Silurus. That this species has in a 

 single instance been taken in Ireland I am disposed to believe on the 

 following testimony. On inquiry- (October, 1 840) of William Blair, 

 who has for many years been fisherman, etc. at Florence Court, whe- 

 ther he had ever met with any rare fish, he described an extraordi- 

 nary one, of which he could never learn the name, that he took 

 twelve or thirteen years ago in a tributaiy of the Shannon, near its 

 source, and about three miles above Lough Allen. His description 

 was so graphic and particular, that Lord Enniskillen on hearing it 

 immediately suggested its applicability to the Silnrus, and on Yar- 

 rell's figure being shown to the intelligent cajDtor of the specimen, he 

 at once identified it as in all respects representing his fish, except in 

 the head and mouth not being large enough. Professor Agassiz, 

 who was present, on being appealed to, stated, that these parts were 

 certainly not represented of sufficient size in the figure. The fish 

 was seen struggling in a pool in the river after a flood, and " with the 

 long worm-like feelers from its mouth ;" and its general appearance 

 was looked upon as so hideous that the persons who first saw it were 

 afraid to touch it. The specimen was at least 2^ feet in length, and 

 8 or 9 lbs. in weight. Although unfortunately " lost to science," it, 

 for two or three years, or until the skeleton fell to pieces, adorned a 

 bush near the scene of its death. The species was not known as an 

 inhabitant of any of the neighbouring waters by the persons of the 

 district. 



