412 Irish Vertebrate Animals. 



Solea {Cuv.) vulgaris Flem. Common. 



Lepadogaster (Gouan) bimaculatus Flem. Two specimens found in a 

 dredge, August, 1811. 



Cyclopterus {Linn.) lumpus Linn. Not very common. 



Liparis (Artedi) Montagui Don. Of this I found an individual ad- 

 hering to a plant of Fueus serratus in a pool on the shore of Carrick- 

 fergus Bay, about two miles below the castle, on the 1st of April, 1807. 

 {Temp. MSS.) This note appears at the foot of the page containing 

 a drawing, made by the late Mr. Templeton, of the fish it alludes to, 

 which was considered by him as distinct from L. vulgaris, though he 

 had not determined its species. The drawing having been submitted to 

 me by my friend Robert Templeton, Esq., I have no hesitation in con- 

 sidering it the L. Montagui. — W. Thomj>son. Belfast, Nov. 1836. 



Anguflla (Cuv.) acutirostris Yarr. is the common eel of the rivers about 

 Belfast. From the observations I have been able to make, I am led to 

 conclude that the eel deviates not from the mode by whichfishes in general 

 produce their young. Towards the month of October, both the milk 

 and the roe may be found in eels ; and why should it, therefore, be 

 supposed that this spawn is not deposited as the spawn of other fishes ? 

 Great numbers of eels, inhabiting the shallow watery mud 

 on the shore of Belfast Lough, were killed during a severe winter. 



. Eels may be caught at all seasons in the fresh water, though 

 not, perhaps, with a bait. On the 14th of January, 1803, the Lagan 

 Canal, at Lambeg Bridge, having the water nearly run off, and ice half an 

 inch thick, and perfectly transparent, covering the surface, I observed 

 many eels, which had been disturbed by the falling of the water, moving 

 about, both under the ice and when its breaking had uncovered the water : 

 some were 2 ft. long, others 18 in., and many smaller. . . . The 

 largest eel I have known to be caught was got at a lough near Bally- 

 gowan, county Down. Judging from its skin, which I saw on the 5th 

 of August, 1807, I think that this eel must have been about 5 ft. long. 

 In the time of watering flax, I have often observed eels leave 

 their watery residence, and run through the grass, in all probability in 

 search of purer water. . . . There are three varieties of the eel : one 

 sharp-nosed, brownish yellow, with yellowish white belly ; one blunt- 

 nosed, black, with silvery white belly ; and one more like the last, but 

 differing from both, found occasionally in the Bann. 



Conger Cuv, vulgaris. Common. Several years ago, a vessel was 

 wrecked on the coast of Rathlin, laden with salt herrings. The congers 

 ate voraciously of the salt fish, and great numbers died, and were washed 

 on shore, after this unlucky feast, for several days. 



Ophfdium imberbe. The only specimen I have observed was thrown on 

 the shore of Belfast Lough, near Whitehouse Point, on January 9. 

 1809. It was a large specimen, not less than 1 ft. long, and agreed so 

 exactly with the figure in the British Zoology, and differed so much from 

 that of Mr. Montagu (Wern. Trans., p. 95/ pi. 4. § 2.), that lam led to 

 believe there are two distinct species, of which Pennant has described 

 the one, and Montagu the other. 



Ammodytes (Linn.) lancea Cuv. Inhabits all our sandy shores over which 

 the tide flows with a swift current. 



Lophobra'nciui. 

 Syngnathus Cuv. 



A v cus Linn. Rather a scarce fish, although found on both the 

 southern ami northern extremities of the island. Seem to breed 

 in spring, as those caught at that time have the ovaries exposed to 

 view. 



