A GERMAN VIEW OF THE FAUNA OF IRELAND. 295 
ean be inspected from all sides. The Aquarium is constructed 
on Lloyd’s system (not Brehm’s grotto plan), and has succeeded 
well for many years. 
Notwithstanding the length of time they have been made, the 
tanks look well. Those on each side of the entrance are filled 
with fresh water and protected from the light, so as to prevent 
the formation of Alge, which is so destructive. Amongst the 
animals in the tanks I noticed the Pearl Mussel (Unio margaritifer), 
which is found in many counties of Ireland, as Cork, Waterford, 
Donegal, Tyrone, Antrim, Wicklow, &c. It is said that in the 
year 1839 such immense quantities of mussels were fished up at 
Omagh, County Tyrone, that the country people crushed them 
and used them as manure. No particular profit seems to be 
derived from the pearls. The specimens in the Dublin Aquarium 
have been living there since April, 1872, thus proving how well 
the water is cared for, since Unios do not usually live long in 
aquaria. — 
I was struck by the thousands of Minnows (Leuciscus phoxinus), 
the more so as this fish has only of late years been introduced into 
Ireland, and is as yet only found in the rivers of Dublin 
and Wicklow. The same with the Carp, which is not 
indigenous there any more than it is in England and Scotland, 
and is still so rare, or so little known, in Ireland that Thompson, 
in his ‘Natural History of Ireland, has carefully noted each 
locality. The true reason for this may be that in an island like 
Treland, well supplied with every variety of sea-fish, including the 
finest Salmonide, fresh-water fish are but little valued, and 
seldom caught or eaten. I have found the like in England, 
Scotland, and on the sea-board of North America. The Barbel, 
so well known to Thames anglers, is not found in Ireland. Dr. 
P. Browne's Catalogue, which mentions it, without citing proof, as 
having been observed in 1744, is utterly untrustworthy. Farther 
on I noticed a Tench, which fish is said to have been introduced 
here, as in Great Britain. Also Cobitis tenia and C. barbatula ; 
C. fossilis, on the contrary, is missing here, as it is all through 
the island. Gasterostews aculeatus and G. leiwrus were observed. 
The Ten-spined Stickleback (G@. pungitius), found in Massa- 
chusetts, North America, is only local in Ireland, as with us, but 
is there in great numbers, and in the merest puddles. I was also 
interested in the Bull-frog (Rana mugiens), from Nova Scotia. 
