On Dredging in the West of Ireland. 353 



I was unfortunately absent when this huge fish was thrown 

 upon the reef, and thus could only secure the head and a 

 portion of the bones : the latter were sent to England some 

 considerable time ago. 



Experienced fishermen here inform me that men have been 

 attacked by it, but that its movements are very slow, and no 

 authenticated instance has occurred of any catastrophe having 

 been caused by it. One man told me that he was once diving 

 for an anchor in the harbour, and was followed to the surface 

 by one of these monsters. 



A very large fish of a similar appearance has been seen by the 

 Aden divers ; but I am not aware if any have ever been caught 

 there. I imagine that it would require a very strong shark- 

 line and hook to capture one of them : but I almost give up 

 the idea of doing so ; I have fished for them so often, and so 

 constantly failed. 



There are two kinds of this " Vielle," which attain to 

 an enormous size: — one, "Vielle Crabe" (the one now 

 at home) ; and another, " Vielle Babonne," the teeth of which 

 are about half the length of the middle finger, in one row, and 

 something in shape like those of the English pike*. One of 

 the latter, measuring 17 feet in length, was killed at the south 

 point of this island last year, again during my absence ; and, 

 unfortunately, I could not even secure his head or any of the 

 bones. The people will not eat them ; and it was simply killed 

 and cut away from the hook in the deep water, where the 

 sharks must have quickly disposed of it. If any are caught 

 during my residence here on any part of the island, I have 

 now made arrangements for securing and preserving as much 

 as nature will permit ; but it is not easy to preserve a fish 

 17 feet long and nearly 4 four feet across the shoulders. The 

 length of the one whose head is now in the British Museum 

 was given me as that " of three men," i. e. about 16 feet ; but 

 this measurement cannot be considered accurate at all. 



Seychelles, Feb. 1869. 



XLV. — Notes of a week's Dredging in the West of Ireland. 

 By George Stewardson Brady, C.M.Z.S., and David 

 Robertson. 



[Plates XVIII.-XXIL] 



The naturalist who can count only upon a few days as the 

 length of time which he is able to devote to a distant excursion 

 will probably do well to confine his attention chiefly, if not 



*[ This may prove to be a species of Lophius. — A. Gran.] 



