considered as the young of Cycl. lumpus. 43 



The first of the two latter is mentioned by Muller and Nilsson 

 merely as taken on the shores of Norway ; the latter, by Pallas 

 and Capt. J. C. Ross, to have been obtained among floating 

 masses of sea-weed in the Atlantic ocean. 



I have had the opportunity of examining specimens of C 

 lumpus (as all are considered to be) taken from the northern 

 to the southern coast of Ireland. Of the individuals particu- 

 larised in this article, those answering to the CycL minutus. 

 Pall., were taken at the surface of the sea about Larne (in 

 September 1836) and Drumnasole (in August 1837), in the 

 county of Antrim, by Mrs. Patterson of Belfast, who fa- 

 voured me with them. In the month of July, a few years 

 ago, Mr. Hyndman (Memb. Nat. Hist. Soc. of Belfast) took 

 in Larne Lough several minute specimens of a Cyclopterus un- 

 der an inch in length, and which, like the Cycl. minutus of 

 Pallas, were among masses of sea-w'eed floating on the surface 

 of the water ; but the specimens having unfortunately been 

 lost before they reached me, nothing further can be said of 

 them. Those agreeing with the Gob, minutus were, as before 

 mentioned, captured in Strangford Lough*, county Dow^n. In 

 Kingstown harbour, near Dublin, an individual nearly as mi- 

 nute as any here described was taken by Mr. R. Ball and my- 

 self, in August 1836, by dredging. A rare fish mentioned by a 

 correspondent as occasionally taken at Wexford, and of which 

 a figure was communicated to me, proved to be this species ; 

 and at Youghal examples 18 inches in length have been 

 procured by Mr. Ball — of a similar size is one from the north- 

 ern coast preserved in the Belfast Museum. 



The following notes from my journal on the mature Cy~ 

 clopterus lumpus may not be unacceptable. 



March 26, 1835. A large lump-fish, taken near Carrick- 

 fergus, was brought to me yesterday morning ; but not being 

 purchased, was as a curiosity hawked about the streets of 

 Belfast throughout the day, and by several persons my atten- 



* The C. lumpus has been described to me as entering this " lough" or 

 arm of the sea, in spring, the period of depositing its ova- 



At the island of Lambay, off the county of Dublin, I, early in the month 

 of June last, captured a Cydopterus which was equally minute with those 

 obtained in Strangford Lough, but of a dark colour — it did not possess any 

 tubercles. 



