Ogilby — On some Irish Fishes. 523 



during the spring mouths. They are also used as bait for the 

 deep-sea lines, as cod and ling are said to be very partial to their 

 flesh. Small examples (up to 50 lbs.) are excellent as food. In 

 the stomach of one taken in March, 1878, were several lumps of 

 boiled beef and two large bones, the whole weighing nearly 8 lbs. 

 Thompson mentions an Irish example from Ballywalter, in the 

 county Down, which exceeded 300 lbs. Called "halibut" in the 

 north. 



Rhombus maximus. — With us, the bait considered best for turbot 

 is a piece of the flesh of a conger which has been hung for several 

 days in the open air, so as to become partly stale. The largest 

 which I have obtained weighed 36 lbs. Legislation is greatly 

 needed to put a stop to the reckless destruction of the young fry 

 of this species and its allies by shrimpers. I have returned to the 

 water thousands of turbots, britts, plaice, flounders and soles, by 

 simply gathering up the leavings of these people. 



lihombus IcBvis. — Thompson's statement, that this species out- 

 numbers its larger relative by about four to one, must be qualified 

 as regards Portrush, for here the two species are about equally 

 plentiful. On the 4th June, 1881, I obtained a very curious 

 monstrosity. The head was horned, similarly to the specimen 

 figured by Yarrell (vol. i., p. 643), but the protuberance was even 

 longer, and the lateral line branched off anteriorly into two parts, 

 one running forward to the end of the horn, the other bending 

 downwards along the snout. 



Zeugopterus punctattis. — In addition to those mentioned by 

 Dr. Day, I have to record two examples obtained at Portrush, 

 both taken in crab-pots : — (1) April, 1876, length 6J in. ; (2) 

 August, 1877, length 4| in. Thompson's two recorded Dublin 

 examples — Carmichael's and Warren's — were not obtained in the 

 market. (The Museum of Science and Art, Dublin, possesses a 

 specimen from Dingle, county of Kerry, presented by Andrews. — 

 A. &. M.) 



Arnoglossus megastoma. — In June, 1881, I obtained in the Bel- 

 fast market a small example, which had been forwarded with other 

 flat fishes from Magilligan, county of Derry, and w-as the only one 

 I ever saw from thaC district. The lateral line was shaped as in 

 the figure of Z. velivolans, Yarrell, vol. i., p. 656. (Common in the 

 Dublin market.— A. a. M.) 



