508 The Zoologist— December, 180G, 



heard of many fish taken this way. Some years ago a lady hooked 

 one, in the same manner, 18 lbs. weight, and had it landed (boated) 

 wiih her parasol. Throughout the autumn salmon are constantly seen 

 jumping after fry in the sea. Some Irish salmon attain enormous sizes ; 

 the largest I have ever seen weighed 76 lbs. 9 oz., though Thomp- 

 son mentions one upwards of 80 lbs. : his notes are well worth 

 reading. 



Great Forkbearded Hake (Phycis furcatus). — " Has in a very few 

 instances been taken on the N.E. coast." — Thompson, vol. iv. p. 187. 

 Last winter two instances of this rare fish came under my notice, one 

 from the stomach of a conger, the other trawled off the coast. They 

 measured respectively 1 foot and 1 foot 5 inches. Yarrell's plate is 

 very good. 



Tadpole Hake (Raniceps furcatus). — "Has been taken on one 

 occasion, as noticed by me in the 'Ann. Nat. Hist.' vol. ii." — Thomp- 

 son. Occurs sparingly here in autumn and winter, and is not near so 

 rare as the preceding. Is taken generally on spitted lines set for 

 whiting, &c., near the rocks. Irish name, " pluck-a-shee." Yarrell's 

 plate is admirable. 



Mailer's Topknot (Rhombus hirtus). — Saw one specimen taken last 

 winter. Thompson also knew of its occurrence in these waters. 



^^i'# (R- niegastoma). — Was rather plentiful last winter ; I bought 

 many very cheap to feed my birds with, because they were " bad 

 soks." 



Scald Fish (R. arnoglossus).— " A specimen of this very rare fish was 

 obtained by Mr. Todhunter on the Galway coast, in September, 1848. 

 * * * * It has been taken on the coast of Cork."—/?. Ball. 

 (Thompson, vol. iv.) Was trawled abundantly off this coast last 

 winter and spring. Same remarks as the last. I saw some hundreds 

 used for baiting crab-pots in the spring. The name is very appro- 

 priate. 



JEi^uoreal Pipe-fish (Syngnathus aiquoreus).— Last winter I met 

 with an immense fish of this kind : seeing a boy " whacking " a 

 donkey with a gutta-percha stick, as I thought, I asked him where he 

 got it. " Its only a stalk of a snot (seaweed), sir ; see :" and I did see 

 a fine aequoreal, 3 feet 5 inches long. Of its toughness you may judge. 

 Is not uncommonly taken in the baskets with whelks and crabs. 



Shortnosed Sea-horse (Hippocampus brevirostris). — Dublin Bay is 

 a pet locality of this curious species. Many were found dead among 

 sea-weed last winter. 



