The Zoologist — Decembkr, 1800. 509 



Thresher or Fox-shark (Cavcliarias vulpes). — " Can be announced 

 only on circumstantial evidence as frequenting the Irish coast." — 

 Thompson, vol. iv. p. 250. Is often very common in this Bay. Last 

 winter I saw one rise and kill a wounded diver with a slap of its tail, 

 and then swallow it. When rising in the water the thresher is known 

 from the porpoise by its long dorsal fin. I have frequently given a 

 thresher a charge of shot, and caused him to jump clean out of the 

 water. When up for sport they make a great noise by striking the 

 water with their tail. Have seen thera of enormous sizes. 



Blue Shark (C. glaucus). — Some examples were taken by me on 

 conger-lines this year ; the largest was over 6 feet long. I do not 

 think it rare. They do great mischief to nets. 



Tope or Blue Hornless Dog-fish (Galeus vulgaris). — I have taken 

 this fish abundantly, ranging to 7 feet long. Yarrell is decidedly 

 wrong in saying the tope is " almost smooth." Its skin is so rough 

 that it scores wooden bowls and platters white, and makes fine 

 burnishers for gun-barrels. 



Angel fish (Squatina Angelus). — According to Thompson, rare. I 

 often meet it among rays and skates. Monsters sometimes are 

 exhibited. 



Torpedo (Torpedo nobiliana). — Is rarely taken now on this coast. 

 Once I knew it frequently used to bait crab-pots. Last winter I saw 

 one. 



Myxine or Borer (Myxine glutinosa). — Only known to Thompson 

 from being mentioned by M'Skiramin, in his ' History of Carrick- 

 fergus,' and by Mr. Templeton, in his ' Catalogue.' Cannot be rare 

 off" this coast, by the quantity of cod-fish which are consumed by it, 

 the skin and bones being only left together. The poor dog-fish 

 (picked or spiked species) are blamed for this. I have occasionally 

 found them in the bilge of a boat. 



Herring. — The food of this fish is considered obscure; in the 

 summer, when they are very fat, their food is fry. In cutting up 

 herrings for bait, and this summer in particular, I have taken quantities 

 of the sand-eel and herring fry from their stomachs ; also, on one or 

 two occasions, the tinned hooks we use on our long lines. How they 

 got these hooks I could never think, as they could not have broken the 

 lines to have taken thera off". They were a hook quite unknown to 

 me. Any herring man can tell you that they eat their own fry. I 

 believe the " suction " theory as much in the herring as I do in the 

 salmon, the snipe, and the woodcock, and as I have often taken mud- 



